B. If she don’t get there before the dust settles, you can bet she’s dead, that’s all.
In writing/literature, things can be said in one of two ways—literally and figuratively. To say something literally, naturally, one means exactly what the words say. When one says something figuratively, one does not mean exactly what is written for the sake of conveying a meaning that is engaging to readers by manner of personification, hyperbole, metaphor, simile, etc. That said, when we read option “B,” we know the author does not literally mean there is dust settling or that anyone will be dead. What is meant is that when tensions subside she will be in a lot of trouble.
The words the author chooses to use in a passage can change the whole tone and feeling of the story in many different ways, or add depth and detail to the story
