: Re: How can I indicate time passing? There is a scene in which my main character is hiding from the villain while they are both in the same room. I want this to be a suspenseful and agonizing

@Hamm6328258

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There are some great answers to this question already. I could see many scenarios where one could use a mix of the suggestions in the answers.
Another idea is to use visual cues, such as sunlight, to suggest that time has passed;

Tom pulled the door from inside the cabinet, leaving it just open
enough to see the table in the room across the hall, where the
sunlight beamed in and bathed the wooden tabletop in a deep amber
glow.
[Insert character's thoughts here like in the other answers]
Tom took his hand from his mouth and drew what felt like the first
natural breath in hours. He peeked through the opening and once again
saw the wooden table in the room across the hall. He could tell that
the room was still lit from the daylight, but the sunlight no longer
hit any part of the table directly.
How long had he been hiding in the closet?

A similar observation could be made about the sun going down or no longer shining into the cabinet, the streets falling quiet post-rush-hour, the construction worker's radio no longer playing, his watch beeping to remind him of taking his insulin, the battery of ___ running out, etc.
Use the knowledge of your character(s) to find something that makes sense for that character to notice and experience.

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