The sound in the wardrobe

An original fiction passage set in the nineteenth century.

At nine o'clock, Ruth carried her candle into the bedroom where she had slept since she was a child. The blue jug stood on the washstand, the patchwork quilt lay smooth upon the bed, and her mother's old shawl rested over the chair. Everything kept its proper place.

As Ruth set down the candle, a small click came from inside the wardrobe. She waited, listening. The sound was not repeated, and she decided that one of the wooden hooks must have shifted beneath the weight of a dress. Then came another click, followed by a slow scratch.

Ruth crossed the room and pulled open the wardrobe door. Her dresses hung in a quiet row. "How foolish I am," she said, although there was nobody to hear her. As she reached for the door, the sleeve of her grey dress swung gently towards her. The other dresses remained still.

She left the wardrobe open and returned to the candle. Its flame was straight and steady; the window was firmly fastened. Ruth was halfway to the bed when the click came again, this time from somewhere behind her.

Analyse the writer's use of language and structure as the bedroom changes from comforting to unsettling.

In your answer, you should consider:

• the words and phrases used to describe the room
• how the writer changes the focus and mood across the passage.

Support your answer with references to the passage.