The window was damp. I dropped the cloth in the bucket. My lip trembled. My feet seemed paralyzed. I was shaking so badly it was a miracle the ladder hadn't toppled over. Then I made the worst mistake anybody afraid of heights could make. I looked down. Instantly it seemed as though I was staring down at a ground further away than ever and all I could focus on was how far away the ground was, while my heart began to pound away in my chest and my body began to feel faint. I saw Sandra's eyes widen in alarm. I couldn't scream but my eyes were practically bulging out of my head. The grip I had on the rungs loosened. I began to fall. I heard Sandra screaming as my body began to drop through the air.
I was going to injure myself badly. At the very least several of my bones would break. I clos
