Read this passage:

rita slowly climbed the stairs. the wood beneath her feet creaked like an ancient door on rusty hinges. she thought she heard something and froze in her tracks. her heart was a speeding train. hearing nothing more, she continued walking. she wished she could see better. she was surrounded by blackness darker than deep space.
which option best describes the role of the metaphor in the passage?
a. to convey a sense of what rita is hearing
b. to convey a sense of what rita is feeling
c. to convey a sense of how rita is moving
d. to convey a sense of what might be upstairs

The option that best describes the role of the metaphor in the passage is b. To convey a sense of what Rita is feeling.

A metaphor is a figure of speech which implies the meaning of an object with another, which is not completely applicable. Metaphors are used to describe an emotional state or instance. It refers to the verbal expression of the experience. Sometimes it becomes difficult to express in language, hence metaphorical language helps in a description of intense emotion.

As in the above instance it describes about her fear through the metaphors "speeding train" and  "creaked like an ancient door on rusty hinges"

c. explains words’ origins and variations.

i don't know and i don't care .