Avi had never been very good at spinning a situation to her advantage, but that did not mean Avi was not a deft hand at trying, and, as such, Avi stuck out her deft hand in the general direction of the person accosting her: "Good morning, I'm with the local newspaper, The National Chronicle, my name is Avi."

"A newspaper! That's the last thing I need!"
"I was just investigating your hatch, on account of I hadn't realised there was a hatch in the area."
"I don't need this kind of attention! We all just want to be left alone! Nobody wants you here, or your newspaper!"
"Attention? I'm not here to pay attention to you, I was only curious about the hatch!"

Perhaps if Avi had been there to pay attention to things, Avi might have noticed several clear giveaways that there was something behind her, like the sound of footsteps, or the fumes of hot breath.

Perhaps if Avi had turned around at any point in her journey through the cave, she might have noticed the giant, sharp teeth inching closer and closer to her.