Run: 2026-10-08-01M4DAK5QBTAGZBT97SHZM4VKR

**VOICE SHEET** **Scene: The Corner Café, Alborn, MN. Late afternoon. Melanie sits alone by the window, turning her camera over in her hands. A cup of coffee has gone cold beside her. Hunter enters, scanning the room, and walks over.** Hunter: "Excuse me. Are you Melanie Brandt? The woman from the guesthouse on Orchard Road?" Melanie: "Ja, das bin ich. Entschuldigung, ich... ich verstehe Sie nicht richtig." *[Yes, that's me. Sorry, I... I don't quite understand you.]* Hunter: "Okay. Look, I'm Detective Hunter. I'm asking about what happened at the orchard Saturday night, during the festival. The Lindqvist boy went missing from the lantern walk around ten." Melanie: "Der Junge... er war direkt vor mir. Dann war er weg. Einfach weg. Und das Licht, es ist ausgegangen, alle Lichter gleichzeitig." *[The boy... he was right in front of me. Then he was gone. Just gone. And the lights, they went out, all the lights at once.]* Hunter: *(frowning)* "I'm sorry, I didn't catch any of that. Slow down? Was it the lights? Did you see something?" Melanie: "Ich habe es fotografiert. Ich habe nicht gesehen, was ich dachte... ich weiß nicht, ob ich mir das eingebildet habe. Bitte, sehen Sie selbst." *[I photographed it. I didn't see what I thought... I don't know if I imagined it. Please, see for yourself.]* Hunter: "Hang on, you've been taking pictures this whole time?" *(Melanie turns the camera toward him and taps the screen. A blurred photograph of the orchard in the dark, a line of lanterns, and a tall figure standing between the trees.)* Hunter: "Huh. Who's that? Can you zoom in? Can you... okay, I don't know what I'm doing with this thing. Is that a person?" Melanie: "Ich weiß es nicht. Es stand dort, ganz still. Und dann war es auf dem Foto, aber nicht mehr im Garten. Ich habe gezittert. Ich glaube, ich habe mich gefürchtet." *[I don't know. It was standing there, completely still. And then it was in the photo, but no longer in the garden. I was shaking. I think I was frightened.]* Hunter: *(leaning closer, lowering his voice)* "Hey. Take a breath. You're safe here. I just need you to tell me what you saw, and I need someone who can understand you. Do you speak any English at all?" Melanie: "Englisch? Nein. Nur Deutsch. Bitte, entschuldigen Sie. Ich kann nicht besser erklären." *[English? No. Only German. Please forgive me. I can't explain it any better.]* Hunter: "Right. Okay. So we're going to have to work around that. You're going to show me the photos, I'll write down what I can, and we'll get you a translator from the county office tomorrow. Can you do that?" Melanie: "Ja. Morgen. Vielleicht." *[Yes. Tomorrow. Maybe.]* *(Hunter's phone buzzes. He glances at the screen, his expression tightening.)* Hunter: "Ah, hell. That's my office. Listen, don't delete anything off that camera, and don't go back out to the orchard alone, understand? I'll be back within the hour." Melanie: "Warten Sie! Die Figur... sie hat mich angesehen." *[Wait! The figure... it was looking at me.]* Hunter: *(pausing at the door, shaking his head)* "I have no idea what you just said, but I'm guessing it's not good news." *(He exits. Melanie looks down at the camera, then slowly zooms in on the blurred figure. The screen lights up her face in the dimming café.)* **END SCENE**