The cord fell away; his arms parted and floated upward, the hands dimly seen on each side in the growing light. he watched them with a new interest as first one and then the other pounced upon the noose at his neck. they tore it away and thrust it fiercely aside, its undulations resembling those of a water snake.

"an occurrence at owl creek bridge,"
ambrose bierce

at this point, what is a logical prediction?

what effect does being tricked into this false prediction have on the reader?

the reader experiences a realistic story of escape and suddenly experiences family sentimentality.

the reader experiences what seems to be a romantic escape only to be returned to the reality of death.

the reader experiences a tale of a guilty man only to discover that the man was innocent.