John was not the type who frightened easily. He had once caught a slimy catfish bare-handed and had even relocated a family of bats from
the attic. But this was something different. It was
a feeling-Intuition, a hunch, whatever; John was starting to get nervous.
Why hadn't he checked the gas gauge before taking off on a late-night trip? As he waited for emergency roadside service to arrive with its
delivery of overpriced gas, he berated himself
for being so hasty. He glanced at his phone yet again-plenty of battery left. At least that isn't going
out on me, he thought. He was certain
he heard rustling in the nearby bushes, and he checked again that his doors were
locked. He saw a dark
light
on the road behind him and shuddered with
an undeniable tingle down his spine. It's only the gas guy, he reassured
himself.
When the van edged past John's truck and parked, John was relleved to see that it was indeed the roadside assistance worker coming to
bring the coveted fuel. He heaved a sigh of relief, wondering why he'd been so anxious.
What role does the oxymoronic statement "dark light" play in the passage?
1. It helps set an ominous, unsettling mood.
2. It provides a literal description of the setting.
3. It furthers the plot by foreshadowing conflict.
4. It reflects an unfamiliar, conflicted emotion in John.