The back reading room

An original fiction passage set in the nineteenth century.

Ellen had extinguished the library lamps when a page turned in the back reading room. The door had been locked since falling plaster made the room unsafe, and its key still hung from her waist. Again came the soft rush and slap of paper; then, after a thoughtful pause, another page followed, as if an invisible reader were searching for a particular passage.

Ellen unlocked the door. Dust lay undisturbed across the floor, and the fastened window admitted only a narrow blade of moonlight. On the central table, a large book began to move. It travelled by inches, scraping towards the edge, until a small, ink-stained hand appeared beneath it. A boy raised his face above the table. Before Ellen could speak, he whispered, "Please shut the door." His eyes were fixed not on her, but on the black opening of the fireplace behind her.

Analyse how the writer uses language and structure to create suspense from the moment Ellen hears the pages turning to the end of the passage. Support your answer with references to the passage.