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 allows readers to approach a \forbidden door.\ it provides a \single powerful spectacle\ for the imaginations eye. it forces readers to \grapple\ with their own mortality. it excites readers with the concept of \magic.\

Explanation:

In "Danse Macabre," King discusses how horror and suspense can make readers face their fears, including the fear of death. In the excerpt, Riya is in a dangerous cave situation. When she starts to fall ("began to fall"), it forces readers to think about the possibility of death (mortality). This is similar to the idea of grappling with one's own mortality as described in "Danse Macabre."

Answer:

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