Chapter 9 – Ruby   “Let’s stay calm, yes?” Julien sets a hand on my shoulder. He must feel me shaking – my legs are trembling uncontrollably as my heart tries to pulverize my rib cage. “We should rest in that alcove we passed. Get our bearings” “No,” I cry. “We have to keep going.” “Actually, he’s right,” Olivia says between ragged breaths, wiping her cheeks with the backs of her hands. “I go hiking with my dad a lot, and he always says if you ever get lost, you should stop in your tracks. If you panic and keep going for the sake of it, you’ll get even more lost.” “We’ve already reached peak lostness,” I say. “Could we really get more lost?” “We’ll be fine,” Julien says. “I’m sure your friend is fine, too. We just need to stop and calm down for a moment.” “Okay,” says Val. I bite my lip, discordant, desperate to find that crumbly staircase, but I’ve already been outvoted. A few minutes later, we’re stooping through a low entryway into a small alcove. Barely an inch of it isn’t coated in graffiti, which would be reassuring – at least if people were here,…