The word you could possibly be looking for is "intent"
It compares the hinges with something unfamiliar and scary.
Explanation:
A simile is a method for comparison of a thing with something different. It creates a realistic feeling to the situation, imagined or visualized distinctively.
Let us read the sentence from the story, as mentioned by the author.
"I pulled the heavy double doors open; the hinges squeaked like a platoon of lost ghosts."
The squeaky sound of the hinges because the door had not been used for a long time. The narrator is unfamiliar with what lies behind the door.
The hinges, compared to a platoon of lost ghosts, give a scary feeling to the sentence.
Hence, the answer is the second answer choice -
It compares the hinges with something unfamiliar and scary.
Answer imagery
Imagery refers to the way language can be used go represent objects, actions, or ideas
Its dramatic btw, and also the suffix makes the word an adjective instead of a noun which the base word "drama" is