When I’d finished, Dr. Mendez escorted me to an exit door opposite from the one I’d entered. “Something important has just happened here,” he said, “probably for you as well as for Joshua.”
“What’s wrong with him?” I asked, surprised by my concern. “Will he be okay?”
“I hope to have some answers upon your return.” He opened the door, giving me no choice but to step through it. “Go taste the freedom you so desperately crave.”
The sudden step from artificial lighting to bright sunlight was blinding. About to reach into my purse for my sunglasses, I realized that I still held the stone totem in my hand. Birds sang, insects hummed, and the scent of freshly mown grass wafted in the air. I scanned my surroundings, wondering what had changed.