Run: 2026-09-23-01M36SNA6PKS6AFJVWCBE0ETRY

# Voice Sheet — "The Photographer at the Cafe" **Setting:** A small café on Main Street in Alborn, MN. Afternoon light filters through the front window. Isabella sits alone at a corner table, turning her camera over in her hands, reviewing photos with a troubled expression. A half-eaten scone sits untouched beside her coffee. Hunter enters, scanning the room, then approaches her table. --- **Hunter:** "Excuse me — ma'am? Mind if I sit down for a second? I'm Detective Warren. I'm asking around town about what happened out on the county road the other night. A lot of people are talking, and I hear you might've been out that way with your camera. Did you see anything unusual?" **Isabella:** *(startled, looking up from her camera)* "Scusi? Non… non capisco. Ma aspetti — è di quella cosa sulla strada? Ero lì. Ho scattato delle foto ma… ma quello che ho visto, signore… non so nemmeno come descriverlo. Mi fa ancora tremare le mani, lo vede? Non riesco nemmeno a tenere la macchina fotografica ferma." **Hunter:** *(pauses, staring at her blankly)* "…I'm sorry, I don't — what? Look, ma'am, I don't have a lot of time here. Did you see somebody out there or not?" **Isabella:** *(leaning forward urgently, switching to slower, simpler Italian as if it would help)* "Ho detto che c'ero. Sì! C'ero sulla strada. Visto? *(gestures at her camera, holding it up)* Fotografie. Tante fotografie. Ma quello che ho trovato nel bosco… Dio mio… non è normale. Non è normale, signore. Ho paura. Ho veramente paura. Mi guardi — mi guardi le mani! Stanno tremando." **Hunter:** *(narrowing his eyes, glancing at her shaking hands, then back at her face)* "…Right. Okay. *(slowly, over-enunciating)* I. Am. Looking. For. Information. About. The. Disappearance. You. Were. On. County. Road. Nine. Yes? *(points at her, then mimes a camera)* Camera. You. Take. Picture?" **Isabella:** *(nodding emphatically, eyes wide)* "Sì, sì! La macchina fotografica! *(taps the camera, then sets it down and gestures broadly toward the window, toward the road)* Fuori dalla città, sulla strada con gli alberi. Le foto le ho tutte qui. *(flips the camera around, begins scrolling through images with trembling fingers)* Vede? Guardi. Le albe, i paesaggi… ma poi, in fondo, le ultime foto… non dovevo guardarle. Non dovevo guardarle da sola, a quest'ora, nel buio." **Hunter:** *(leaning in slightly despite himself)* "Are those — are those pictures of the road? The woods? *(sighs, rubbing the bridge of his nose)* Christ. Okay. You clearly know something. I can see it on your face. But I can't understand a damn word you're saying." **Isabella:** *(her voice cracking slightly, speaking faster now)* "Non importa se non capisce! Importa che mi ascolti! C'era qualcosa tra gli alberi, signore. Qualcosa che non si muoveva come una persona si muove. E le persone che sono sparite… non credo che siano andate via. Non credo che si siano… come si dice… allontanate da sole. Penso che qualcuno — qualcosa — le abbia portate. E le mie foto potrebbero aiutare, ma io non posso stare qui da sola a guardare queste cose! Non ce la faccio! Mi vengono i brividi solo a ripensarci!" **Hunter:** *(after a long pause, speaking slowly)* "Look… I don't know what you just said. But I know that look. I've seen it before. People who've seen something they shouldn't have. *(stands up slightly, pulls a card from his coat and sets it on the table)* This is my number. If you remember anything — or if anything else happens — you call. *(mimes holding a phone to his ear)* Call me. Understand? *(points at the card, then at her, then at the phone gesture again)*" **Isabella:** *(taking the card, holding it close to her chest)* "Sì, sì, vi chiamo. Ma non tardi, mi raccomando. Se qualcuno di loro non tornerà… se ci sarà qualcun altro che scomparirà… sarà colpa nostra se non facciamo qualcosa adesso. Guardi queste foto, per favore. *(she extends the camera toward him with both hands)* Le ultime. Quelle scattate nel buio. Guardi bene… e ditemi che è solo un albero. Me lo dica, la prego, che è solo un albero e che sto impazzendo." **Hunter:** *(takes the camera reluctantly, squints at the small screen, scrolls slowly — his expression gradually changes from confused to serious)* "…This is… *(mumbles to himself)* What the hell am I looking at? *(looks up at her)* These — these were taken on County Road 9? Last Tuesday night? *(his jaw tightens)*" **Isabella:** *(reading his expression rather than his words, her face draining of color)* "Lo vede? Lo vede anche lei? Non è un albero. Non è un albero, vero? *(whispering now)* Dio ci aiuti… non è un albero…" **Hunter:** *(still staring at the camera, voice dropping)* "Ma'am, I need you to come down to the station and make a full statement. I don't care what language you talk in — we'll get a translator, we'll get someone on the phone, I don't care. But I need everything you know about that night. Everything. Starting with what time you —" *(Hunter's phone rings sharply. He glances at the screen. His expression tightens.)* **Hunter:** "Hold on — hold on just one second." *(He answers, turning slightly away from the table.)* **Hunter:** "Warren. *(pause)* …When? *(pause)* …How long has she been gone? *(long pause, hand pressing against the edge of the table)* …No, don't send anyone else out alone. I mean it — nobody goes out there alone. I'm on my way. *(hangs up. Turns back to Isabella, pressing the card gently toward her hand one more time.)*" **Hunter:** "Something's come up. Someone else is missing. *(eyes linger on the camera one more time)* Keep that camera on you. Don't delete anything. And call me — *please* call me. I'll find someone who can understand you." **Isabella:** *(standing abruptly, grabbing his sleeve before he can leave, speaking rapidly in Italian)* "Aspetti! Un'altra persona? Un'altra?! Se ne sono andate tutte le altre? *(shaking her head, eyes glistening)* Questo non è possibile. Non in un posto così piccolo, così tranquillo… non con queste mele e questi festival e questa… questa falsa quiete. Venga a prendermi al mio alloggio — non posso stare sola. Non stanotte. Mi dica che verrà a prendermi, la prego." **Hunter:** *(hesitates at the edge of the table, looking down at her hand on his sleeve, then at her face. After a long beat, he carefully pulls free — not unkindly.)* "I hear you. I don't know what you're saying, but I hear you. Stay in your room. Lock the door. *(mimes locking a door)* Lock. The door. I'll send someone to you. *(brief pause)* …Be safe." **Isabella:** *(letting go of his sleeve, wrapping both arms around her camera, watching him go)* "…Mi dica che è solo un albero. Per favore. Me lo dica." *(Hunter is already out the door. The bell above the café entrance chimes once and falls silent. Isabella sits back down slowly, looks at the camera in her hands, then out the window toward the road leading out of town.)* **Isabella:** *(quietly, to herself)* "…Non è un albero." --- *End of scene.*