Run: 2026-10-08-01M4DA4CQEES9CMJ3YFTBX8SF3

**Voice Sheet: "The Apple Festival Photographs"** *Scene: A small café on Main Street, Alborn, MN. Late afternoon. MELANIE sits by the window, a camera in her lap, staring at the screen on its back. HUNTER crosses the room and stops at her table.* --- **Hunter:** Excuse me. Miss? I'm Detective Hunter with the Alborn Police. I'd like to ask you about the disappearance at the orchard last Thursday. You were there for the festival, correct? **Melanie:** *(in German, quietly, with a shaky voice)* "Nein, nein... Ich verstehe nicht... Ich habe es gesehen. Ich habe es wirklich gesehen." *(No, no... I don't understand... I saw it. I really saw it.)* **Hunter:** *(pauses, frowning)* I'm sorry, I didn't catch that. Do you speak English? **Melanie:** *(looking down at the camera, turning it over in her hands)* "Es tut mir leid. Ich... ich weiß nicht, was ich sagen soll. Die Fotos... sie zeigen etwas, das nicht sein kann." *(I'm sorry. I... I don't know what to say. The photos... they show something that can't be.)* **Hunter:** *(sits down across from her, slowly, palms open on the table)* Okay. I'm going to take that as a yes on the photos. Can I see them? **Melanie:** *(hesitates, then turns the camera toward him, pointing at the screen)* "Hier. Der Mann am Baum. Siehst du ihn? Um 16:42 Uhr war er da, und um 16:43 Uhr... nicht mehr." *(Here. The man by the tree. Do you see him? At 4:42 he was there, and at 4:43... he was gone.)* **Hunter:** *(leaning in, squinting at the screen)* Hey, I don't speak a word of German. I'm not going to get anything out of this unless you can help me. Can you point to what you're seeing, or write it down? **Melanie:** *(taps the screen, her voice trembling)* "Er war hier. Dann nicht. Verstehst du? Es ist, als hätte jemand die Zeit angehalten... oder ihn ausradiert." *(He was here. Then not. Do you understand? It's as if someone stopped time... or erased him.)* **Hunter:** *(sighs, rubs the back of his neck)* Okay. Look, I'm going to need someone to translate this properly. But I want to know one thing. Did you see anyone else near the orchard, anyone who looked out of place? **Melanie:** *(softly, staring out the window)* "Eine Frau mit einem roten Mantel. Sie hat mich angesehen. Direkt in die Linse." *(A woman in a red coat. She looked at me. Straight into the lens.)* **Hunter:** *(writes something quickly in his notebook, then looks up)* A woman in a red coat. Okay. That helps. **Melanie:** *(whispering)* "Bitte. Du musst mir glauben." *(Please. You have to believe me.)* **Hunter:** *(his phone buzzes on the table. He glances at the screen, then back at her)* I've got to take this. Stay here, okay? Don't go back to the orchard. And don't delete those photos. *(He stands, answers the call, and turns toward the door.)* **Hunter:** *(into phone)* Hunter. Yeah, I'm at the café now. What do you mean, another one? *(He exits. MELANIE pulls the camera back into her lap and stares at the frozen image on its screen.)* **Melanie:** *(barely audible)* "Niemand glaubt mir jemals." *(Nobody will ever believe me.)* *End scene.*