Cat took in their surroundings as much as she could as they got closer to their destination. The architecture here was incredible, perfectly frozen in time from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. She couldn’t wait to learn more about that history. But she also noticed an eerie silence on the campus. It was so quiet. She didn’t hear any joyous shouting, she didn’t hear any laughter, she honestly didn’t even really hear anyone speaking…anywhere. The only sound was the cacophonous echo of the courtyard fountain, accompanied by the clicking of her and her mother’s feet hitting the stones on the ground as they hurried towards the entrance of Temple Hall.

“Mom, I really don’t know…”

“Shush,” her mother grasped Cat around the elbow and quickened their pace.

They arrived in front of a huge set of wooden French doors leading inward. Her mother pulled, exerting more strength than Cat would have thought was necessary, and they both walked inside a dimly lit atrium.

“Stairs,” Cathy said, nodding towards a stately marble staircase leading up towards incredible panels of stained glass windows. ”You don’t want to ride in the elevators here. They’re mostly original to the buildings.”

Ok! Also weird. Cat made a mental note to avoid getting in any dumbwaiters or bellhop elevators from the 19th century. Shouldn’t be hard to do. They made it to the second floor and crossed the hall to access the next flight of stairs when Cat could have sworn she’d heard a far-off scream from somewhere.

“What the…” Cat looked around wildly, looking to her mother for an explanation, and there was that inscrutable haunted face of hers again. “…Mom?”

“Let’s go, let’s go!” Her mother tugged her further upwards and they came around the next flight of stairs breathing hard and looking thoroughly flushed red from their sprint up three floors.

“Catherine,” Cathy panted at the reception desk outside the doors of Study A. “And Catherine. Davis. Noon.”

The receptionist looked down at the tiny gold watch around her wrist. “You’re a minute late.”

”Shit,” Cathy breathed. Cat just continued to look wildly back and forth between her mother and the receptionist as the girl in front of them pushed a bright red button on her desktop and a loud, horribly abrasive buzzing noise sounded an alarm through the room. Cat jumped in shock.

“You’ll get used to it,” the receptionist said dully. “Be on time next time. I recommend not using any profanity in front of the dean. He doesn’t like it. Especially from the ladies.”

What was next time? And when was the last time she’d actually heard her devoutly religious mother use profanity? She never even said the Lord’s name in vain. Her most scathing insult was, “Son of a biscuit”.

The stately double doors of Study A swung open and Cathy ushered her daughter inside. The room was massive. Shelves of books lined two of the four walls. An entire panel of leaded windows covered another. The fourth wall was weirdly, completely bare, save for a wall sconce that flickered like a candle behind milky green-colored glass. In front of the window sat the dean. He was younger than Cat expected him to be. Surely no older than 50, she might even guess early to mid-40’s. Tall and strong, he appeared smart and intelligent with a haircut that was at least half a century out of style and wore silver rimmed glasses. He was kind of attractive, in a stern nerdy dad kind of way, she supposed.

“You’re late,” he said flatly as the two of them approached the desk. “Have a seat.”

“Catherine,” he nodded towards Cat. “And Catherine. Class of 2003, if I’m not mistaken?”

Her mother visibly paled, the blood drained from her face. Ok. What the hell was going on with her mom today. Was she actually going to have a heart attack over sending her daughter off to college?

“Did…did…you…”

The dean smiled, but there was something weird about his smile, Cat thought. Uncomfortable. Or…intimidating? Seriously, this was where she was going to school?

”No, I didn’t go to St. Joseph,” the dean said, as if reading Cathy’s mind, “I just thoroughly reviewed Catherine’s application materials, of course. You mentioned in the appropriate places that both you and William were school alumni. It’s no secret that we place priority on legacy families. Catherine, what has your mother told you about your upcoming education?”

“I…uh…” Cat stumbled, unable to determine how to approach this conversation.

“Catherine,” his voice became short and stern. “You will address me as Sir, or Doctor, as appropriate and expected by all scholars at this school. You will NOT stutter or stammer when you speak. It makes you look dumb, stupid and uneducated. We place the highest expectations on our young ladies at St. Mary’s Scholars College. Educational, personal, and moral expectations. You are required to dress a certain way. You are expected to report to class and meetings on time. Always, always on time. If you follow these simple guidelines you will excel to achieve a great education and success like your mother here - indeed like both of your parents. If you cannot follow these rules and guidelines then you will be punished, as needed, for your actions. These rules and guidelines have been established for the good of our young ladies here at this school and all of our scholars follow them completely.”

Punished? What sort of power trip was this dean on about?

“Catherine, I need you to verbally agree to these simple college guidelines before we continue with the interview and your admission. Can you agree to these school terms?”

“Yes?” Cat squeaked, shrugging slightly as she did so.

“Excellent. Now, I am going to run through the additional rules and guidelines that we have in place for our young ladies at St. Mary’s. And just so you know, just so you both know, very similar rules and guidelines are in place for our young men over at St. Joseph’s. Some of our ladies here think that our rules are too ‘draconian’ and ‘oppressive’ and ‘sadistic’,” the dean used air quotes as he spoke. “The same rules apply to the young men. Some, even harsher.”

It hardly gave Cat any comfort, but she didn’t interrupt or argue as the dean continued on.

“You will need to undergo an initial assessment. We will handle this today at the end of this meeting. It will be very quick and you’ll be on your way. You may have noticed on your way in that we adhere to a strict uniform policy here. Your orientation manual will include acceptable brands, styles, and items; as well as stores near campus that carry the pieces that you will require for your daily wardrobe. Should you ever need to replace something on short notice or you cannot find a suitable replacement in town, we do have a commissary on campus but a lot of the ladies tell me it’s exorbitantly expensive.”

Because the college tuition and room and board fees weren’t high enough already. Now Cat was going to need to also buy an entire new wardrobe? That figured. It wasn’t enough to be some sort of special “legacy admission”, the school was still going to bleed her family for every dollar they could.

“In addition to the strict dress code, any sort of body modification is strictly prohibited and may result in expulsion. Body modification is included, but not limited to… Drastic hair cutting without medical reason. All hair cutting in excess of two inches must first be approved by a patron. Hair coloring of any kind. Nail polish worn outside of approved social events. Body piercings and tattoos will result in immediate expulsion.” The dean’s gaze flitted back and forth between Cat’s ears. Her mother had begged her not to wear the gemmed studs today. This must have been the reason why.

“Catherine,” he addressed the mother Catherine. “You knew this.”

”I didn’t allow it. I never allowed it! She and her friend did it behind my back over the summer.”

The dean’s gaze flashed back towards Cat and she practically jumped at the stern glare in his eyes. They were ear piercings for god’s sake! Literally everyone had them. But maybe not here?

”Catherine,” he addressed daughter Catherine this time, “going behind your parent’s back to do something forbidden… I hope you are not a fallen legacy. We have many problems with these individuals these days. Parents just aren’t raising their children like they used to.” His gaze darted back in the direction of Cathy and she practically withered in her seat.

“She’s a good girl, Doctor,” her mother said, barely above a whisper. “Please, give her a fair chance. She deserves this.”

The dean’s gaze softened a bit and he turned back to Cat. “Catherine. I’m afraid your mother maybe has not shared with you all the important tenants of our ladies college here. We are a unique beacon of purity and educational values in the academic world. Great expectations for great scholars.”

“And…” Cat couldn’t help but interjecting. She’d read all of this in the catalogs and brochures. She’d been told it over and over again throughout her entire damn life through stories from her mother, her grandmother. But like, all those wild stories about purity and virginity and obedience were just hyperbolic stories, meant to scare her into doing well at school. This was college! Now was the time for her to finally figure out what kind of person she was and who she wanted to be, separate from her weird and religious family a little bit, meet a boy and kiss him, maybe more.

“In terms of academic performance, anything below a B is grounds for academic probation. A failed class is grounds for expulsion, although we know not all of our scholars will excel in everything. We expect all of our graduates to complete their education with a GPA of 3.8 or higher. We are happy to provide you with graduate school recommendations and placements as soon as you declare your major of study. But please know that your academic advisor will ultimately choose the best course of study for you to pursue based on your attitude, behavior, interests and, well, just generally what classes you excel in.”

”I can’t choose my own major?” Cat asked.

”We think the major chooses the scholar,” the dean continued. “We only have your best interests and success in mind with our processes.”

“Can I study history?” Cat asked. It was her greatest interest, though she couldn’t even begin to pinpoint a place or time in history that she enjoyed more than any other. She was enthralled with it all.

“We’ll see,” the dean said, writing something on a piece of paper in front of him. Her mother gasped as he did so and Cat gave her a pointed look.

“Catherine,” both mother and daughter looked up, but he didn’t specify which he was speaking to. “I must speak to you about a delicate matter now.” Cathy gasped again and the dean flashed them both a lurid smile. “I will be direct, since there is no point in mincing words around a very important tenet of our college program. Virginity must - absolutely must - remain intact throughout your education, unless it is otherwise - somehow - permitted.”

What?! Unless it’s otherwise permitted?? It was probably the craziest thing Cat had heard all summer. Forbidden sex!? Who was she going to have sex with at an all-girl’s school anyway? (Of course, she hoped to meet a boy from St. Joseph, just like her mom had met her dad)

“Breaking your virginity will result in harsh punishment, and possibly expulsion. Suspicion of breaking your virginity will result in interview, assessment and, likely, examination. Patrons have eyes around this entire campus. If a patron assumes deviance may be at play with one of our scholars, the result is interview, assessment and, likely, examination. Do you understand, Catherine?”

Cathy nodded numbly as Cat squeaked out another tentative, “Yes?”

“Excellent,” the dean stood up from his desk, “Now Catherine, I’m going to ask you to step back out into the atrium with my receptionist to wait for your daughter until I can complete her assessment.”

“But she’s a virgin!!” Cathy cried, her face draining of color and going pale again. Cat stared daggers at her mother and wondered why, of all things her mother could possibly exclaim in a college interview, was an announcement about Cat’s virginity.

“Catherine,” the dean said sternly. To Cathy or Cat, neither were quite sure, but Cathy jumped to her feet and followed the dean desperately as he went to the sconce on the wall.

“Please, Doctor! She IS a virgin! I promise she is! Can’t we just skip the assessment?”

What the hell was going on right now?! Cat glared wildly back and forth between her mother and the dean.

“Catherine,” the dean said, pointedly staring at Cathy as he reached out for the sconce on the bare wall. He lowered his voice as if he didn’t want Cat to hear him, “Surely you would rather not witness your own daughter’s assessment? I can allow it if you insist, but… Catherine.”

Cathy turned to look at her daughter and gave her the most pitying look Cat had ever seen from her mother. What the hell was about to happen?!

“Cat, I’ll be right outside, sweetie, ok? You be a good girl and listen to the Doctor, I mean, dean. Do what he says. Be polite. Remember? Remember how you promised me that you’d be polite today when we were on our way in?”

Ok. Really. What the hell?!

Cat watched as her mom exited the room and the bare wall turned around to reveal a strange scene. A tall wall of cabinets, a sink and a bare countertop. Extending out from the wall was a table, of sorts. It looked kind of like a doctor’s exam room from the 1920’s but much more…spartan and bare.

“Catherine,” the dean began, his voice even and mellow, “I need to perform an assessment with you today. This is to ensure that you are a young lady up to the merits of St. Mary’s Scholars College. This may be strange and uncomfortable for you, but it is the final requirement of your application and we must do this today since your move-in day for the dormitory is a week from now.”

”What sort of assessment?” Cat asked nervously, she wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer.

“I need you to sit up on the edge of this table over here for me,” he walked over to the white table and patted at the edge.

“Why?”

The dean’s eyes flared and his face changed immediately into something much meaner, “I wouldn’t ask questions, Catherine.”

She swallowed hard and walked to the edge of the table and sat the edge of her hips on the ledge.

“Catherine, this is hopefully going to be a very simple and quick assessment today. I don’t like to take up too much of your time since you will receive your orientation manual after this and have a lot of work to do between now and the start of classes. Again, I will be blunt. I need to check for your virginity and intact hymen.”

Cat froze. He needed to do WHAT?!

“You can’t do that,” Cat said harshly. Surely he couldn’t, right? He wasn’t a medical doctor.

“Normally, you would receive a punishment for that, but since you don’t know any better yet…” he sighed. “I am a medical doctor, Catherine. I just chose to go into academia after a decade working in the field. I like the young students better than healing the sick. They’re a lot more fun to work with and they keep me feeling young. Now. I need to check for your hymen, Catherine. You may remove your underwear and place them on the table behind you.”

So THIS is why her mother had insisted on Cat wearing her ugliest sundress today? Oh god, her mother KNEW this would happen?!? What was going on right now?!?

”Catherine!” The dean barked. His voice echoing through the room. Cat visibly jumped and tears welled in her eyes.

”I can remove them myself if it’s that much of an issue for you to do it on your own,” he said.

“No… I… I’ll…” she felt a hot slap across her cheek and she stared wide-eyed at the dean in front of her. What the hell, had he just SLAPPED her?!??

“Stuttering and stumbling is NOT tolerated, remove your panties, Catherine, or I will do it for you.”

Tears rolled from her eyes without her permission and she quickly brushed them away as she ducked her hands under the skirt of her dress, shifted her hips and pulled her underwear down her legs. The dean watched her every single movement and nodded to the head of the table when she held up the flimsy cloth in her hand.

“Good girl. Now lay all the way back on the table, bend your knees and spread your legs out wide for me.” She was seized head to toe by a sickening feeling of being simultaneously freezing cold and boiling hot. Her stomach gave a nauseating lurch and she could have sworn her heart stopped beating for a moment.

“But I’m a virgin!” She pleaded as she lay back on the table, shaking as she did so. She was both terrified about what was currently occurring, but also at the thought of him striking her again.

“I sure hope so, or this entire interview and assessment has been a complete waste of my time, yours, and your mother’s,” the dean moved to stand at the end of the table and placed a hand at each corner. “Place each of your feet on each of my hands, Catherine.”

She let out a pleading whimpery sound as she did as she was told and pressed her knees together to hide herself.

“I need you to spread your knees, nice and wide for me, Catherine,” his voice had changed again, it was firm but had a steady cadence to it. “Nice and wide or I will do it for you.” She let her knees fall apart from each other and covered her face in her hands in utter shame and embarrassment.

“Ok Catherine,” the dean said, “I’m not in the business of violating virgin ladies before they even start their classes here and would prefer not to have to touch you. I need you to take your hand and spread apart your labia for me so I can fully view your genitals. I’ll need you to take your hand away from your face…” he reached out, took one of her hands in his own and pulled it up and away from her face. “Have you ever touched yourself before, Catherine?” She honestly kind of hadn’t. She had a period, so she dealt with that, but she wasn’t much into masturbating. She hadn’t quite figured out what she liked yet.

“I CAN do it for you, but it's preferable that I don't in the interest of your purity.”

Cat stared wide eyed in horror as the dean appeared to move his hands towards the middle of her legs. Instinctively, her hands flew downward to cover her privates, but he didn't reach to touch her. Instead, the table rattled violently underneath her body and she visibly jumped again, her legs moving to press together again.

The dean withdrew a 12” wooden rod from under the table and held it up in view for Cat to see.

“The rod is typically used in every assessment, Catherine. Especially with shy or particularly insolent scholars.”

She whimpered in fear as she thought of the man striking her with the thick wooden rod. What the hell kind of school and administration was this?! She jumped again as the dean poked and pushed at the inside of one of her knees with the tip of the rod. The touch was firm and guiding, but not cruel…at least not yet. The rod was turned horizontal and he began to lower it to between Cat’s thighs.

Seemingly reading her mind the dean continued, “Although corporal punishment may be used in extreme cases of scholarly malfeasance, it's not something that any one of the administration enjoys doling out. Yes, the rod may be used for punishment or pain if you don't follow instruction, but it's mostly used for gentle assessment and examination…” He demonstrated his point by placing the rod horizontally between Cat's thighs, gently prodding each leg further apart as it got closer and closer to the intimate spot between. The rod wedged between her thighs inches above her pubis, her legs splayed out wide and obscene.

“This is the requisite spread used for both assessment and, if necessary, examination. The rod will be used until scholars can comply without its use,” the dean explained. “Now please, I have another interview arriving within minutes, show me your purity, Catherine.”

This sure as hell didn't feel anything like “purity” to her. It felt cruel, unnecessary and sadistic. But not wanting another slap, and wanting to get the hell out of here, she complied with the dean's request and awkwardly reached between her legs, avoiding bumping the rod propping her thighs open, and parted the folds between her legs for the dean to do his assessment.

He reached into his pocket and withdrew a small penlight. He flicked it on, and turned the beam between Cat's legs. The light hit her in the eyes as he directed the beam and she shut her eyes tight and turned her head away.

“I need you to spread yourself a bit wider, Cat. I can’t quite visualize your hymen yet. Pull up and out a bit with your fingers and that should do the trick…” she took a shuddering breath as she did as he directed and the room became deathly silent for the span of thirty seconds, which dragged on to a full minute that felt like hours. Her entire body burned with the heat of shame, she felt that spot on display between her legs throb uncomfortably as it was visually assessed by the strange man that she had only just met.

Unexpectedly, since her eyes were still twisted tightly closed, she felt the rod leave from between her legs. She moved to close her knees together, but got a quick and biting strike against her upper inner thigh the second she did. She cried out in startled surprise and opened her eyes.

“You have a very tiny and tight opening, Cat,” the dean said, as he twirled the rod around in his hand to a more vertical orientation. “Every young lady is different, and I apologize that I will have to manually check for your purity here. I will not touch you with my fingers. I will, however, let the rod do the job and carry out one of its other purposes.”

He pushed away the fingers on her left hand with the tip of the wooden rod and she could feel the blunt end prodding between her legs. She flinched every time it pressed into her sensitive skin and her hands and legs trembled.

”Perfect,” the dean said in a smug, satisfied tone as he stood up to his full height and dropped the rod back into whatever drawer he had initially pulled it from. “Pure and intact. You are finished, Catherine. You may return to your mother and pick up your orientation manual on your way out from my receptionist. Welcome to St. Mary’s, we will be happy to have you join our college of young scholars.”

She no longer shared either the happiness or pleasure in joining this college. She quickly pulled her panties back on and jumped up and off the table and practically fled towards the door.

“I’ll look forward to seeing you again next week during orientation,” the dean said as he pressed a button on the wall and the scene began to rotate back into the bare wall that she had been greeted with when she had initially entered the room. She heard the loud, harshly abrasive sound of that buzzer out in the reception room as she reached for the door handle and turned back to glance once more at the dean, sitting at his desk.

“You may go, Catherine,” he said, waving her forward, not even looking up from whatever was on his desk in front of him. “My next interview has arrived.”

Catherine didn’t wait for any further encouragement. She opened the heavy door and fled back out into the reception room where her mother was already waiting to leave, holding a large tote bag with the school crest embroidered on it that they definitely had not had in hand at the time of their arrival. That was an awfully large bag for an orientation manual.