Venna and I stepped out of the dark room and into the corridor. The light coming through the windows hit my eyes like a slap after the total blackness inside. I blinked hard for a second, the world blurring before it settled back into focus.
"You good?" Venna asked.
"Yeah," I said, still blinking through the sting.
We started walking toward the exit, passing the reception room.
"You're not going to say goodbye to Abuela?" I asked.
Venna kept her eyes straight ahead. "We don't say goodbyes here."
"Why not?"
"I don't know," she answered simply.
I didn't press it. Some rules existed long before anyone remembered the reasons behind them.
The two men still stood sentinel at the entrance like statues, silent and unmoving. Venna walked past them without a glance or a word. I followed, feeling their unseen eyes on my back. No goodbyes there either.
