How does the figurative language in the following passage from "the most dangerous game" contribute to the plot of the story?
rainsford sprang up and moved quickly to the rail, mystified. he strained his eyes in the direction from which the report had come, but it was like trying to see through a blanket. he leaped upon a rail and balanced himself there, to get greater elevation; his pipe, striking a rope, was knocked from his mouth.
a) it builds suspense as we realize that rainsford hears gunshots but cannot see anything.
b) it serves as a symbol of why rainsford must struggle to see from the deck of the boat.
c) it explains why rainsford was balancing precariously to see and thus fell off the boat.
d) it does not add anything to the plot of the story.