The Mercedes Benz came to a stop at the front gates to St. Mary’s Scholars College. The ten foot tall wall of brick buffeting said gates stretched down the lane for at least a mile in both directions. What kind of a college left their entrance gated and locked? Had a bricked fence perimeter? A pair of armed security guards met Cat and her mother at the Mercedes before opening the main gate. Seriously, what college in this day and age was actually gated off, not to mention guarded by armed guards? Seriously. What the hell?

She gave her mother a nervous sideways gaze as the larger of the guards slowly assessed the front of their car and began to walk around to the drivers’ and passengers’ side windows. Their exits were blocked - the only way out was a 4-point turn back the way they came and Cat assumed her mother wasn’t going to change her mind about sending her daughter off to college now. She’d been so excited about it all. At least she had been up until this morning.

“Is this…normal?” Cat asked in a quiet and timid voice, her eyes darting between the man with an entire armory around his waist at her window and the long black asphalt drive that lay ahead of them, leading off into a dark woods.

“I guess maybe things have changed a bit since your father and I attended,” her mother replied, barely above a whisper. She cleared her throat. “The catalog made it seem so modern and safe. I suppose they take the safety of the school and its scholars seriously these days. That can only be a good thing, right?”

Cat jumped as the man next to her mother’s window rapped loudly on the glass, indicating she lower the window. Her mother did so without hesitation and Cat briefly wondered if her mother had lost her damn mind.

“Name and purpose of visit,” the man barked, emotionless, holding out a hand expectantly. Her mother reached over, groping blindly at Cat, staring out the window at the guard. What was Cat supposed to do? Oh. Right. Purse. Cat grabbed her mother’s purse sitting at her feet and thrust it into her lap.

“Cathy, er, Catherine Davis,” her mother said. She rummaged through her purse for her identification. Oh right, and the interview invitation that her daughter had received - a letter that explicitly stated it would need to be shown upon entrance to the college to grant admission. She hadn’t quite expected this. She thrust the letter and her driver’s license into the guard’s open hand.

“And you, young lady?” The guard asked, lowering himself slightly to make eye contact with Cat, sitting next to her mother.

“Cat…” she said, practically shaking in her seat. “Cat Davis.”

”Also Catherine Davis,” her mother corrected. Cat cringed hearing her full name. God, what an old lady name. Her grandmother was Catherine. Her great grandmother was Catherine. She was pretty damn sure the grandmother before that was also Catherine. How original, family. And now she was going to go to the same damn college that all of them had gone to, too? (Or, at least the ones who had been allowed to seek higher education, she supposed) God, this place looked SO creepy. Her best friend had gone to the State school. She’d already gone to TWO summer frat parties. Lucky. Cat hadn’t even kissed a boy yet.

“We’re here for Catherine’s,” mother nodded towards daughter, “college interview with the dean.”

“Time of interview?” The guard asked, looking at the massive watch around his wrist.

”Noon,” Cathy said, “I’m running late, I know.”

”The dean doesn’t like late arrivals,” the guard handed back the letter and ID, “but you should be able to make it right in time if you park in Lot 2. You’ll be meeting the dean in Temple Hall. Third floor. Study A. Hurry.”

The gated entrance began to retract open and the guard slapped something on the side of the car as Cathy drove through.

“Do I have to go here?” Cat asked as they moved forward, looking behind them as the gates closed shut. This was weird, right? This was way weird.

“Oh sweetie, Saint Mary’s is the best college you could possibly attend, you are so lucky to have been accepted! You will get a better education here than, well, maybe anywhere. Do well and you can do anything you want when you graduate. Just look at your father and me,” Cathy rattled on as long overhanging trees brushed above the top of the car.

“But why an interview after I’ve already been accepted?” That was weird, no doubt about it…right? Why didn’t they interview her before acceptance? School started in less than two weeks, she already had her dorm assignment. She was ready to start rethinking everything as a massive complex of Victorian buildings came into view. Cat gasped. Ok, it was as beautiful as the catalogs had made the place look once you got past the front gates. The car turned toward an arrow pointing towards “Lot 2” and it suddenly became shockingly clear that the women walking around the campus were all dressed alike. No. Identical.

Creepy. And crappy. Cat really thought that she’d moved beyond school uniforms finally. She suddenly wondered if piercings were allowed. She only had her ears pierced - something she’d rebelled against her mother about and did with her best friend one afternoon during the summer when they’d rented a lake house at the end of July. Her mother had been furious. Absolutely livid. Cat didn’t understand why; she’d turned 18, she had every right now to poke a couple holes in her ears. She wanted to pierce her nose next. Maybe her belly button.

”Oh god, we’re going to be late,” Cathy said with a gasp as she pulled the car into the parking lot and saw how long a walk it would be to the doors of Temple Hall. It was a massive, five story mansion - practically a palace - looming over three smaller buildings of similar style that sat closest to the parking lot. There was a long cobblestone path through an expansive courtyard. A cascading fountain - echoing loudly through the walls of the building - buffeted by gardens of shrubbery, roses and towering statues. The main entrance to Temple Hall at the very back of the pathway.

“Who cares, it’s the dean, he’s going to make us wait anyway,” Cat scoffed.

“No Cat, you don’t make the dean wait. You are punctual and you are polite. Do you understand? You are always, always punctual and polite.” God, was she…scared? Her mother had a haunted affect that she rarely saw. Cat didn’t know what to make of it.

“God, ok mom, geez, let’s go then.” They both left the car and headed forward towards Temple Hall.