There are several structural characteristics of "The Open Window" that help create a feeling of surprise. One of them is how the author manipulates time. In order to do so, he uses flashbacks extensively. The best example is when Mr. Nuttel thinks of the words his sister said to him when he was about to go to the countryside. Through this flashback, we also learn that Mr. Nuttel has problems with his nerves.
The author also surprises us by not placing all the characters together at the same time. The fact that the aunt is upstairs and her husband is out allow for the surprise at the end to materialize.
Finally, the author builds the story with the expectation of a surprise, created through foreshadowing. However, he does not reveal what the surprise is until the very end, when it becomes inevitable.
Good speakers pause in between because they want their audience to remain attentive and alert to the rest of the speech. They want audience members to hang on to every word and be interested and listening. The pause is as if the speaker is making a silent statement, and usually follow bold statements that have been made.
It could be about a family/kid/teen/adult who faces through violence in his neighborhood and the story of how they survive through it. It could be a one about horses and a personal relationship with one. Something involving El Dia de Los Muertos possibly