Free Running Scared by Gloria Skurzynski

you’re lost in the wilderness, right? Did they ever say anything about caves? It didn’t matter—the principle was the same. If the three of them kept going farther, that might only make it worse.
    â€œI have an idea,” Ashley announced. “The trail splits into three and there are three of us. I think each one of us should take a trail, since one of them has to be right. Whoever gets out to the main trail first could find the rangers and tell them where we are, and then—”
    â€œNo!” Jack said emphatically. “We’re not splitting up.”
    He watched Ashley stiffen. “Just listen to me!”
    â€œNo!”
    â€œWhy not?”
    â€œI th-th-think we should do what J-J-Jack s-says,” Sam broke in.
    â€œOh, big surprise there,” Ashley snapped. “You always do everything he says. What is it, a guy thing? Why can’t you ever listen to me?”
    Sam looked at her, wide eyed.
    â€œSince you believe everything Jack says, maybe you should have asked him about running off the way you did. He would have told you not to do it. Then maybe we wouldn’t be in this mess.”
    â€œHey, don’t be going after Sam,” Jack warned her. “That’s not going to help anything. Besides, Ashley, you’re the one who said you knew which trail to take. You’ve made mistakes, too. You’re the one who was so sure that you knew the way out—”
    â€œSo now it’s my fault?” Ashley exclaimed, her eyes blazing in the half-light. “You’re blaming me? You’re the one who wanted to find Sam without the rangers’ knowing—”
    â€œThat’s because I didn’t want him—any of us—to get in trouble.”
    â€œWell, we’re all in trouble now.”
    â€œQuit being such a drama queen. OK, so maybe we’re lost now, but the rangers are going to find us. We’ll get in trouble for making them put together a search, but we’ll be all right.”
    â€œWhat if they’re not looking?”
    The question caught Jack by surprise. It took a moment for the idea to register.
    â€œWhat if no one has figured out that we’re gone?” Ashley said, snapping her braids behind her back. “Have you even thought of that? I have. Consuela’s the only one in Left Hand Tunnel who knew for sure we were taking the cave tour, and she passed out. Maybe she’s still unconscious. An unconscious person can’t talk. An unconscious person can’t ask about us, or tell about us, or anything!”
    Jack began to feel sick. “So what’s your point?”
    â€œMy point is we can’t wait. We each need to take a trail and try to find the main path and get help. We’ve got to get out of here!”
    Sam put his hands over his ears. Shutting his eyes, he began to rock back and forth.
    â€œStop it, Ashley. You’re scaring Sam!”
    â€œI’m scared.”
    Jack could tell she was. Sometimes, when she was truly frightened, his sister would grab her sides and hold herself tight, as if she could almost turn herself inside out. She was doing that now, clutching her sides so that Jack could see the jut of her knuckles gleaming white in the candlelight. The worst thing any of them could do now was to lose control. The second worst thing would be to turn on each other.
    â€œLook, I know you think we should each take a tunnel, but it won’t work. We can’t split up.”
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œBecause we only have one lantern. You can’t walk without light. Someone could fall into one of those holes. We can’t risk it.”
    Ashley was silent for a moment. She seemed to sag a little, her head falling forward as if it were suddenly too heavy for her neck. “Then what do you think we should do?” Her words were directed at the cave floor.
    â€œWe need to stop moving and wait for them to come to us. They’ll find us, Ashley. I