I don’t know what a short essay would look like but here’s a paragraph to help you start !
Doubt, as we can read from the Oxford dictionary means “A feeling of uncertainty or lack of conviction.” Throughout our lives many of us have experienced doubt. It’s feeling that we feel as we go about our lives. (Go on about your own experience with doubt)
Suspense. It's not Gothic lit without suspense.
1) b and a - A sparse crowd is one that is small and scattered.
2) c and b - To petrify someone is to terrify that person.
3) a and b - An intense pain is one that lasts for a long time.
4) a and b - A prone figure is one that is lying face down.