Read the following story.
Keiko sat in a circle with four others, their eyes downcast, their posture slumped. No one said a word. Outside the window storm clouds threatened to overtake the city skyline. When the phone finally rang, everyone’s heads snapped up in terror. No one wanted to answer.
Which effect does the author achieve through the story’s setting?
A. The author establishes a mood of doom.
B. The author introduces the main character.
C. The author creates the story’s central conflict.
D. The author sets up the hook of the story.