Question

Read the excerpt from a short story.

The apartment house had a communal attic rarely visited by its tenants. The labeled boxes and cast-off furniture offered little intrigue, so few explored its depths. Then one rainy afternoon, I ventured there seeking solitude.
Roaming beyond the beams of the lone ceiling bulb, I spied only cobwebs until I rounded the corner of a hulking armoire. Beyond this antique was unrelenting shadow, but I willed myself to advance. Then a grim bellow of thunder resounded, sending me to the floor. Prostrate on the splintered beams, my hands felt a shaft of cold steel and I could but imagine the evil article I'd encountered.
What technique does the author use to build suspense in the excerpt?

Answer 1

[AI-generated answer — Bot GPT 3.5]

The author uses foreshadowing and vivid descriptions to build suspense in the excerpt. The mention of the "unrelenting shadow" beyond the antique armoire and the discovery of a "shaft of cold steel" create a sense of anticipation and tension for the reader. Additionally, the use of a grim thunderous sound adds to the eerie atmosphere, heightening the suspense and building a sense of foreboding.