My fingertips made contact with the edge of the window sill, mere moments before my body felt a corresponding yet rather more forceful contact with the wall below. Despite the sudden physical shock, I hung on with extreme tenacity, maintaining my precarious grip upon the sill through sheer force of will.
After I had established to my satisfaction that I was indeed clinging securely to the side of the building, and the beating of my heart had been restored to a semblance of its usual rate, I took stock of my situation. I saw that my perch, precarious to begin with, was also rather high up in the air.
Stealing a single nervous glance downward, I felt a momentary lurch in my stomach, as I at last ascertained the rather significant distance between my two dangling feet and the ground below.
With a focused concentration of will, I managed to pull myself up by the force of my arms. At last I could nearly see into the house — just a few more inches to go.
With one final effort, I was able to lift myself to a sufficient height above the window sill so as to allow my eyes an unobstructed view of the interior of the abode. What I saw there caused me to gasp out loud in astonishment.