Run: 2026-10-06-01M48VQ1QE5RJRT8KEJ84EW62M

**VOICE SHEET: "The Language Barrier"** --- **SCENE:** Interior of *The Apple Core Café*, Alborn, MN. Morning. Rain streaks the windows. MARIA sits alone at a corner table, camera in hand, reviewing photos on its small screen. She wears a faded denim jacket over a mustard sweater, a scarf wrapped loosely around her neck. --- **MARIA:** *(softly, to herself, in Spanish)* No... no puede ser. Esa no es la misma persona... *(She zooms in on a photo: a blurry figure near the old mill, face obscured by shadow.)* --- **HUNTER:** *(approaching, badge clipped to his belt, raincoat dripping)* Mind if I sit? I'm Detective Hunter. Alborn PD. *(He waits, expectant. MARIA looks up, startled, camera clutched to her chest.)* --- **MARIA:** *(hesitant, in Spanish)* ¿Sí? ¿Puedo ayudarle? No... no hablo inglés. Lo siento. *(She shakes her head, eyes wide, clearly frightened.)* --- **HUNTER:** *(frowning, leaning forward)* I'm sorry, ma'am. I don't— *(he stops, realizes)* —do you speak Spanish? Or... French? German? --- **MARIA:** *(voice trembling, in Spanish)* Español. Soy de España. No entiendo... ¿qué quiere? ¿Qué ha pasado? *(She pulls her knees to her chest, camera forgotten on the table.)* --- **HUNTER:** *(exchanging glances with himself, pulling out a notepad)* Okay. Okay. Let me try this. *(he points to himself, then to her, then gestures broadly)* Detective. Police. I need to ask you about... *(he taps his temple)* ...the woman. The woman who disappeared. Sarah Chen. You know her? --- **MARIA:** *(Spanish, rapid and panicked)* ¿Sarah? ¿Desaparecida? Yo... yo la vi. La vi ayer. En el molino viejo. Pero no... no es posible. Ella estaba... *(she covers her mouth)* ...estaba muerta. No, no puede ser. Yo la fotografié. Tengo la foto. *(she grabs her camera, fumbling with it)* Mire. Mire aquí. *(She thrusts the camera toward him. HUNTER takes it carefully, turns it over, presses buttons at random.)* --- **HUNTER:** *(frustrated, to himself)* Great. Just great. *(to MARIA, louder, slower)* Lady, I need you to understand. This is important. Very important. People are disappearing. *(he counts on his fingers)* Three people. Three. You understand? Three? --- **MARIA:** *(Spanish, tears forming)* Tres... sí, entiendo. Tres personas. *(she points to the window, to the rain)* Pero yo no sé nada. Solo... solo hago fotos. Soy estudiante. De intercambio. *(she gestures helplessly at her camera)* Fotografía. Paisajes. Eso es todo. *(She looks down at her hands, shaking.)* --- **HUNTER:** *(standing, agitated)* I need a translator. I need someone who can— *(his phone BUZZES. He checks it, expression hardening.)* Damn it. *(he looks back at MARIA, apologetic but firm)* I have to go. But I'm coming back. *(he points at her, then at himself)* You. Me. Later. Okay? --- **MARIA:** *(Spanish, small voice)* ¿Volverá? ¿De verdad? --- **HUNTER:** *(already turning away)* I always come back. *(he pauses at the door, raincoat collar up)* And lady? *(he taps the camera still in his hand, then sets it on her table)* Whatever you saw... whatever you think you saw... don't tell anyone else. Not yet. *(he pushes through the door into the rain)* --- **MARIA:** *(alone again, whispering in Spanish)* No se lo diré a nadie... *(she looks at the camera, then at the blurry photo of the mill)* ...pero ya es demasiado tarde. *(She pulls her scarf tighter, staring at the rain-streaked window, camera trembling in her hands.)* --- **END SCENE**