Analyzing Eerie Word Choice in a Poem

In the poem excerpt below, the author uses various word choices to convey a specific emotion and tone. Read the excerpt carefully and analyze the word choice in context:

Under the heavy cloak of night, shadows whispered secrets, while the moon dripped silver across the silent ground, inviting an eerie dance of phantoms.

Which of the following word choices most intensifies the eerie atmosphere created in the excerpt?