I had to get the other leg out.

Dry mouth. Pumping heart. Slipping hands.

I gripped harder.

Don’t look down.

I leaned into the room, lifted my other leg and hooked it out of the window. Both feet on the ledge.

Doing OK. Doing OK.

I clung to the window frame. Hugged it with my whole body.

A cool night breeze blew up from the cemetery. It swept around my face. Brought whispers from the old, dead relatives.

Breathe, Maggie. Breathe.

Climb down, Maggie, climb down.

But my fingers were set hard. They’d never let go. Never.

Ker-lunk. Ker-lunk.

The jeep doors.

Climb down, Maggie, climb down.

I eased myself away from the window.

Sick rose in my stomach.

You’re just a middler. Always too scared of everything.

Always too scared.

I pressed myself back in.

Stupid Maggie.

Always too scared.

I couldn’t do it.

It was only a few minutes now. Only a few minutes and Una would be gone. On her way to camp. And I’d be left here, a middler-shaped bundle of fear, clinging to a window frame.

Letting her down.

Letting everyone down.

My fingers ached with the gripping.

Maybe I should just let go.

“Get her in the jeep, Neel.”

Una.

If I didn’t move now, it would be too late.

Move, Maggie, move.

Feel your fear.

Do the right thing.

I eased myself away from the window again.

Released a foot from the ledge.

The ground spun round.

Feel your fear.

I reached my foot down, set it on the top of the window below.

Do the right thing.

I let go with my right hand, got a hold on the ledge.

Second leg down, second hand down.

Two feet firm. Two hands firm.

I stopped.

I breathed.

Don’t look down.

Climb, Maggie, climb.

Foot – hand – foot – hand.

Down to the next window.

To the next ledge.

I was doing it. I was doing it.

The next window.

The next led—

My foot slipped.

I gripped harder. Caught myself.

Feel your fear.

The next ledge. I was there.

The next window.

The next—

My foot felt around in the inky air.

No ledge.

No window.

No nothing.

I hooked my leg back up.

There were no more footholds.

Ter-rutt-terutt-trutt.

The jeep.

I was going to be too late.

I was going to be too late, if I didn’t do something absolutely right now.

I looked down.

The ground lurched.

I squeezed my eyes shut and squashed myself flat against the wall again.

Ter-rutt-terutt-trutt.

Look down, Maggie, look down.

I forced my eyes open and peered at the shadows underneath me.

I was above the front door with its triangular gable.

I just needed to get my foot to the middle. Then I could balance on top of the triangle and climb down from there.

Terutt-terutt.

Hurry up, Maggie. Hurry up.

I stretched my leg out.

It wouldn’t reach.