Question

read the excerpt from a short story.
the cave had offered a greater challenge than the group expected. this was not a tourists cavern, and there was no stopping to photograph stalagmites—far from it. each spelunker wore a headlamp, and each had gone so far as to belly crawl through a tight fissure at the urging of their guide. riya had kept up all afternoon, ignoring her aching legs and the shadows of abundant bats. and now she awaited her turn to walk, legs splayed, across a yawning crevice. even old dot had done it; she could hear the group clapping for her across the darkness. finding footholds on the left and right, she advanced—one foot, then the other. reaching ambitiously for jutting rock beyond her grasp, she heard a sickly crumble below and began to fall.
how does the excerpt exemplify the ideas king describes in \danse macabre\?
it excites readers with the concept of \magic.\
it provides a \single powerful spectacle\ for the imaginations eye.
it allows readers to approach a \forbidden door.\
it forces readers to \grapple\ with their own mortality.

Explanation:

In "Danse Macabre," King discusses how horror forces readers to confront their own mortality. In the excerpt, Riya is in a dangerous cave situation (walking across a crevice, hearing a crumble and starting to fall). This life - threatening scenario makes readers think about the fragility of life and their own mortality. There is no mention of magic, a single powerful spectacle (it's a series of events like belly - crawling, walking across a crevice), or a forbidden door (more of a physical danger situation).

Answer:

It forces readers to "grapple" with their own mortality.