Slit in the Frame

The loosened rubber gasket hung stiff from the aluminum track, leaving a hollow slit along the bottom rail. I lowered my snout to the exposed opening, breathing in the cold draft. Slipping one curved sickle claw beneath the glass panel's edge, I pried upward with sudden force. The heavy frame shuddered, emitting a deep, grinding creak that rattled straight into my jawbone. It didn't lift, but the draft whistling through the widened gap sharpened into a clean, rhythmic hiss. I froze, chest pressed flat to the cold sill, watching the night air pour through.