Question

read the excerpt from a short story.
from the porch, the cabin looked as quaint and rustic as the website
had promised. i hoisted my duffel to my hip, unlocked the door with
the key id been sent, and stepped into the warm air of the mountain
home. the floorboards creaked a welcome as i investigated. i
admired the piney living room, noting the stone hearth and the
dappled afternoon light on the walls. then i made my way toward the
single bedroom at the end of the hall. i glanced at the eyelet bedcover,
the marble clock, and the antique mirror. wait. i glanced again at the
mirror and impulsively brushed my hair from my eyes, balking at the
coloring of the wayward wisps. how could it be? my hand touched
my skin—the image i faced was a much older version of myself. i
backed away, watching my wrinkled face retreat. i tripped on the
doorjamb, stubbed my toe on an errant nail, and nearly toppled over
my own luggage as i lunged for the door.
what technique does the author use to build suspense in the excerpt?
quickening the pace of the story
making the outcome of events uncertain
intentionally omitting setting details
darkening the word choice

Explanation:

To determine the suspense - building technique, we analyze each option:

• Option "quickening the pace of the story": The author uses short, action - packed sentences in the latter part (e.g., "I backed away...nearly toppled over my own luggage") to speed up the story's pace, creating a sense of urgency and suspense as the character reacts to the disturbing mirror image.
• Option "making the outcome of events uncertain": The excerpt doesn't focus on making the overall outcome of events uncertain; it's more about a sudden, disturbing event in the moment.
• Option "intentionally omitting setting details": The author provides detailed setting descriptions (e.g., "the piney living room, noting the stone hearth...") so this is incorrect.
• Option "darkening the word choice": While there is a disturbing event, the main technique here isn't darkening word choice but speeding up the story's pace.

Answer:

A. quickening the pace of the story