200 days

The Interview

"What is your full legal name?" My interviewer asks. "My name is Dahlia Marie Willow" I respond, making sure to keep all my responses to a minimum. She scribbles something on her notebook, "What are your parents' names?" "My mother's name is Leia Willow and my father's name is Marcus Willow" I reply, watching her shut her notebook. "Let's get to the real questions now, shall we?" She asks, although it doesn't feel like I have much choice in the matter.

"My name is Michelle Jacobs, but you can just call me Michelle." I reply, in the sweetest voice I can muster, "Nice to meet you Michelle". "Have you ever killed anybody?" She pressed, trying to dig up anything interesting about me. "Need I remind you Dahlia, may I call you Dahlia?" I nod my head, "That if you are caught lying to me, the consequences will be severe, and you will be caught".

"No, I have never killed anyone, nor do I plan on lying to you Michelle." She maintains eye contact with me as she says "You're walking down a dark alley, and you see someone you care about mugging an old lady, what do you do?" I think for a second about the best way to phrase it. "I would calmly tell them to stop, and I would help the old lady in any way I can."

 She made a face of displeasure as she wrote something on her notepad. "You wouldn't help, let's say, your mother? Not even if you guys needed any money to survive?" She presses, determined to get whatever answer she wants to hear.

"No, I would never help anyone steal from an innocent person, no matter the need for it." I realize my mistake as soon as she looks up at me with interrogative eyes "Huh, I see. What if you needed the money for your sister's life-threatening surgery? What is the person your mother is stealing money from is a murderer? What would you do then Dahlia?" 

She smirks, knowing that she has me in a chokehold. "I see no reason to defend someone who has killed people. Especially if the money is being used for selfless reasons." There's no point in lying to her, there's nothing wrong with my answer. All I said was that murderers are bad and I care about my sister.

My nerves build up as she scribbles and crosses things out in her notebook. She peers up at me "Your best friend's name is Bailey Langley correct?" she asks, looking back down at her book and continuing to write things I can only hope to never know. "Yes," I answer simply. "What if she asked you to help her kill someone? Someone who wronged her dearly, what would you do then?"

I hesitate, thinking about what I would do if I was truly put in that situation. Bailey and I have been through so much. She was there when I lost my dad, and I was there when her grandparents died in a car crash. Would I help her kill someone? If they really hurt her, would I help her hurt them back? "No, I would never help her kill anybody. Nor would I advocate her behaviour. I would, however, do whatever I can in my power to stop her from making such an awful decision.

"I see, now tell me the answer to this riddle. You are walking through a dark forest, and you come upon a fork in the trail. You can choose to either go left, right, or continue ahead, and you cannot go back. The path you are supposed to go on is the one on the left, but as you walk towards it, you see signs telling you to turn back. You try to walk on the right path, but you see the trail littered with human bones. The middle path is completely empty and appears safe. Which path do you go on? Keep in mind, you have no idea where the other two paths lead" 

"The middle," I think immediately. "Before you say anything," Michelle starts, "I want a reason why you won't go on the other two paths and a reason why you chose to go on whichever path you chose."

"Okay, I wouldn't go on the right path because people have clearly died there and it seems like a bad choice." I pause, considering which oath I would go on. I take a deep breath and say, "I would continue to go on the left path because that is where I am supposed to be going, whereas, I have no way of knowing where the middle and right paths will take me." 

Michelle mumbles something incoherent and she nods her head slightly and writes something down in her notebook. I continue on, "Even though the left path seems unsafe, it doesn't necessarily mean it is. It could be a trick to keep people off that path." I finish, feeling proud of myself for solving her riddle. She stands up and indicates for me to do the same, "It has been a pleasure to meet you Dahlia." She sticks out her hand for a handshake and I do the same.