The writer uses language to describe the coal tips as dark, dangerous and sinister for the reader and in doing so makes effective use of personification to single out coal tip number 7 as a ‘killer with a rotten heart’. Here, the pre-modifying adjective ‘rotten’ creates the impression of a malevolent being. This is because ‘rotten’ can have several connotations, and all of them are negative. For example, it makes a link for the reader with decay, death, but just as importantly, is suggestive of evil intent. It is as if it sets out to deliberately kill the children. This is further added to by a verb ‘inching’ which suggests on- going movement, slow, but inevitable and the adverb, ‘ominously’ forewarns of the disaster to come. The writer appears to draw on conventions of the horror genre here– ’tip number 7’ is a clear villain and has a set of victims.