Run: 2026-04-25-01KQ2JFZEMYKW1Q5X0WBK6VXVN

**Voice Sheet – Scene 2: The Café at Alborn** *Sound of a quiet café – the clink of a coffee cup, low chatter in the background. Melanie sits at a small table by the window, her camera cradled in both hands. She stares at the screen, her brow furrowed. Hunter enters, spots her, and approaches.* **Hunter:** "Excuse me. You're the girl who was out by Miller's Creek yesterday, aren't you? I saw you with that camera." *Melanie looks up, startled. She blinks rapidly, her hands tightening around the camera.* **Melanie:** "Ja... ich war dort. Es war schrecklich. Ich habe etwas gesehen, das ich nicht verstehen kann." *(Yes... I was there. It was horrible. I saw something I don’t understand.)* **Hunter:** *(He frowns, tilting his head.)* "I'm sorry, I don't... uh, speak German. Do you understand any English at all? Just a little?" **Melanie:** *(She shakes her head, her voice trembling.)* "Nein, ich spreche nur Deutsch. Tut mir leid. Aber ich habe gesehen... eine Frau, die in den Wald geführt wurde. Sie weinte." *(No, I only speak German. I’m sorry. But I saw... a woman being led into the woods. She was crying.)* **Hunter:** *(He pulls out his notebook, flips through it, and sighs.)* "Okay... okay. Let’s try something. Did you see anything strange? A car? A person? *He gestures broadly to the window* – something you photographed?" **Melanie:** *(She glances down at her camera, then back at him, her eyes wide.)* "Ja, ich habe ein Foto gemacht. Ein Mann mit einer schwarzen Jacke. Er sah sich um, bevor er sie mitnahm. Ich dachte, es wäre ihr Freund, aber... sie hatte solche Angst." *(Yes, I took a photo. A man in a black jacket. He looked around before leading her away. I thought he was her boyfriend, but... she was so afraid.)* **Hunter:** *(He watches her face, reading the fear there. He points at her camera.)* "The photo. Can you show me? The picture?" *Melanie hesitates, then slowly turns the camera toward him. She scrolls back and points at the screen.* **Melanie:** "Da. Sehen Sie? Der Mann. Ich habe ihn noch nie in der Stadt gesehen." *(There. See? The man. I’ve never seen him in town before.)* **Hunter:** *(He leans in, squinting. His expression hardens.)* "I know that jacket. That’s the same one from the last two reports." *He pulls out his phone, typing quickly.* "Alright, I need to get this into evidence. Can you—" *His phone rings. He checks the caller ID and mutters,* "Damn." *He answers the call, stepping half a pace away.* **Hunter:** *(Into phone, quietly)* "Yeah. I’m on it. Where? ... Okay. Ten minutes." *He hangs up, turns back to Melanie, his tone curt but not unkind.* "I have to go. Stay in town. Don’t go anywhere near the woods alone." **Melanie:** *(She stands, clutching her camera to her chest, voice shaking.)* "Bitte... finden Sie sie. Sie hieß Emma. Ich hörte, wie sie ihren Namen rief." *(Please... find her. Her name was Emma. I heard her call her name.)* **Hunter:** *(He pauses at the door, gives her a brief, steady look.)* "I’ll do my best." *He exits. Melanie sinks back into her chair, staring at the photo on her camera as the café hums around her.* **End of Scene.**