Task One: Male Entries

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D1M- Holland Lennox

"Hello," the lady in front of me looks down at her clipboard to check my name, even though I am her first interview, "Holland Lennox, I am Candice Canetti, and I will to ask you a few questions on the behalf of the wonderful gamemakers this year." She doesn't stop to see if I'm paying attention, she just continues to look down at her clipboard and ramble on.

"Hello, Ms. Candice. May I ask one question first? Why do you need to question me? I've already been interviewed by Caesar," I ask her. She stops, turning her piercing gaze up to my eyes.

"Mr. Lennox. What ever you did with Caesar is on no importance to myself or the gamemakers. His questions are to appease the Capitol citizens, whilst mine are for information about yourself and your thoughts. Now, without further ado, I would like to begin asking the questions, if that is alright with you," Candice Canetti's sudden change from brain dead to deadly is unnerving and slightly startling, but I make no comment. I simply decide to let her press on, after all, my answers won't matter after I win these games.

"What would have happened if you were never born?"

The first question confuses me. Why would someone care about my opinion towards that? Why does it matter? How could this information be used against me? Carefully, I compile all my thoughts in my brain until I have a suitable answer, "If I was never born, I wouldn't be here competing in these death games. And, I wouldn't have to face death."

Obviously, my answer startled her. She did not expect my down-to-Earth response. She quickly composed herself and began to ask the next question, "How would your family be without you? Your friends?"

This question I can answer without any hesitation, "My family would be just fine without me being a disgrace to their reputation. As for my friends, if they wouldn't be my real friends if they wouldn't miss me, so me being gone would be a way to find out who my real friends are."

This time, my answer doesn't faze her as much. She simply nodded and scribbled in her little notebook. She then looked up at me and began to rapid fire questions at me. She wasn't pausing to take a breath or scribble in her note pad, no, these answers were all going to memory, "Do you think you are a contender in these games?"

"Yes."

"What are your biggest fears?"

"Not being able to prove that I can be a good Career. Not being able to hold up an alliance. Not going to college. Dying."

"Who is one person you can't live without?"

"Well, no one really. If I had to choose someone, it would probably be my girlfriend, Esmeralda Lakerson. Other than that, there isn't anyone that I could get over missing."

After this question, Candice looks down at her notepad and scribbles the answers I gave. When she looks back up at me, her eyes are full of pity. Immediately, it is evident that she is trying to break me down, but the funny thing is, that she can't. She can ask away, she can take everything from me, she can speak daggers at me, but she can't break someone who has already been broken.

"And, finally Mr. Lennox, do you believe that you were ever of importance?"

A hush falls over the room, coating the air so every breath is cluttered. With this question, all my previously broken pieces come together with a bond stronger than steel. She can't break me, all her questions are only healing my broken pieces. I will not let her toy with my feelings. Not today.

"Ms. Canetti, my thoughts are more complicated than you would think. This is not just a simple matter of a 'yes' or 'no.' We both know that. Now, Ms. Canetti, I believe that every soul on this planet is of the same importance. For example, you hold no greater importance than I do, and I of you. We are all born and created equal. Now, when I say that, I don't mean money, fashion or political-wise. I only mean our souls, thoughts, and feelings are all worth the same amount. So, for you to ask if I ever believed of my own importance is completely stupid.

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