It was as if his bones were made of glass, shattering into a million pieces with every movement and sending waves of sharp, shooting pain coursing through his limbs.
His muscles screamed in protest with every step, each movement sending jolts of electric pain shooting through his body.
The ache settled deep into his bones, a dull, persistent throb that seemed to resonate with every heartbeat.
Every inch of his body felt tenderized, as if he had been used as a punching bag in a brutal workout session.
The sensation of blood trickling down his skin was a grim reminder of the violence he had endured.
His ribs screamed in protest with every breath, each inhalation a sharp reminder of the blows he had taken.
The world seemed to spin around him in a dizzying blur, his vision clouded by the stars of pain that danced across his field of vision with every movement.
A sharp, stabbing sensation shot through his lower back, making him wince.
Her temples throbbed with a relentless, pounding headache.
He clutched his side, pain radiating from the bruise with every breath.
Her muscles screamed in protest, the soreness a reminder of yesterdayâs workout.
A burning ache spread through his chest, each heartbeat intensifying the agony.
She bit her lip, trying to stifle the groan as pain flared in her twisted ankle.
His knuckles were raw and throbbing, evidence of the fight.
She pressed a hand to her forehead, a dull ache settling behind her eyes.
A searing pain lanced through his knee, nearly buckling his leg.
She gripped the edge of the table, knuckles white as pain shot through her arm.
Her trembling hands betrayed the unyielding agony in her joints, a relentless companion.
Doubled over, he fought against the relentless cramps that seized his stomach.
A sudden, searing pain in her wrist forced her to relinquish her grip, the cup clattering to the ground.
Every step reverberated through her aching feet, a reflection to the miles she had traversed.
Rubbing his shoulder provided little respite from the persistent agony that gnawed at the joint.
A sharp sting on her finger brought fresh irritation, the paper cut a small but sharp reminder of vulnerability.
His tooth throbbed incessantly, a deep, pulsating ache that clouded his thoughts.
Each movement of her stiff and sore neck elicited a fresh wave of discomfort, a constant reminder of strain.
A stabbing pain in his chest made each breath a struggle, a reminder of mortality's grasp.
The throbbing in his hand, where the door had slammed shut, served as a relentless reminder of his own clumsiness.
A dull ache settled deep within her lower back, rendering even sitting a feat of endurance.
His leaden legs protested with every step, each movement a symphony of agony.
His head spun, the pain behind his eyes making it hard to focus.
Sharp pangs in her side served as a reminder of the physical toll of her exertion, a stitch from pushing too hard.
His throbbing ankle, swollen and tender, made each step a test of willpower.
Gritting her teeth against the shooting pain, she cursed the strain from overuse that tormented her wrist.
Pressing a hand to his chest, he felt the pain radiate outward in relentless waves, a reminder of vulnerability.
Her burning shoulder protested each movement, the pain a constant reminder of her injury.
He winced as sharp pains flared in his elbow, each movement a reminder of his body's fragility.
A deep ache throbbed in her hip, a persistent discomfort that refused to be ignored.
His fingers tingled with pain, a result of gripping the tool too tightly for too long.
The decomposition process occurs in several stages following death:
Pallor mortis
Algor mortis
Rigor mortis
Cadaveric spasm
Lividity
Putrefaction
Decomposition
Skeletonization
PALLOR MORTIS
The first stage of death.
Occurs once blood stops circulating in the body.
The cessation of an oxygenated blood flow to the capillaries beneath the skin causes the deceased to pale in appearance.
In non-Caucasians, the pallor may appear to develop an unusual hue; the skin will lose any natural lustre and appears more waxen.
Occurs quite quickly, within about 10 minutes after death.
ALGOR MORTIS
The cooling of the body after death.
The cooling process will be influenced by many factors, including the deceasedâs clothing, or whether they are covered with bed linen such as blankets or duvets.
The body will typically cool to the ambient room temperature, but this alters if there is heating in the room or if there is a constant draught cooling the body.
RIGOR MORTIS
Can occur between 2 and 6 hours after death.
Factors including temperature can greatly affect this.
Caused by the muscles partially contracting, and the lack of aerobic respiration means that the muscles cannot relax from the contraction, leaving them tense, subsequently resulting in the stiffening we associate with rigor mortis.
This stage typically begins in the head, starting with the eyes, mouth, jaw and neck, and progresses right through the body.
The process is concluded approximately 12 hours after death (although, again, certain variables may occur) and lasts between 24 and 72 hours depending on circumstances.
Contrary to popular belief, rigor mortis is not a permanent state and is in fact reversed, with the muscles relaxing in the same order in which they initially stiffened.
The reversing process also takes approximately 12 hours, when the body returns to its un-contracted state.
It is possible to âbreakâ rigor mortis by manipulating and flexing the limbs. This is usually done by undertakers, pathologists or crime scene investigators who are attempting to examine or move a body â or by a murderer trying to hide their victim in the closet or the boot of a car.
CADAVERIC SPASM
A phenomenon that can be misinterpreted as rigor mortis.
The instantaneous stiffening of the body (most commonly the hands) following a traumatic death.
Unlike rigor mortis, the stiffening of the affected limb is permanent and is not reversed, causing the deceased to maintain the rigidity until such time as putrefaction causes breakdown of the particular muscle group.
Examples:
The deceased following an air crash were later discovered still clutching their seatbelts or arm rests in a final, desperate act of survival.
In a drowning case, the victim was discovered with grass from the riverbank still grasped in their hand.
Perhaps the most famous case of cadaveric spasm involves the rock band Nirvanaâs lead singer, Kurt Cobain. Cobain reportedly committed suicide in April 1994. His body was discovered a few days after his death with a shotgun wound to the head, and tests revealed he had large traces of heroin in his system. He was reportedly discovered still clutching the gun in his left hand, due to cadaveric spasm. However, a great deal of controversy surrounds the veracity of this latter assumption, and indeed the cause of his death, with many people insisting and attempting to prove that he died as the result of foul play rather than suicide.
LIVIDITY
Also known as livor mortis, hypostasis, or suggillation.
Once blood can no longer circulate, it will gravitate towards the lowest point of the body.
Example: A supine body will display pinkish/purple patches of discoloration where the blood has settled in the back and along the thighs.
Occurs about 30 minutes after death, but will not necessarily be noticeable until at least 2 hours afterwards as the pooling process intensifies and becomes visible, finally peaking up to between 8 and 12 hours later.
Once it is complete, the lividity process cannot be reversed.
Therefore a body discovered lying on its side, but with staining evident in the back and shoulders, must have been moved at some point from what would have been a supine position at the time of death.
It is worth noting that if the body has had contact with the floor, a wall or other solid surface, lividity would not occur at the points of contact as the pressure would not allow the blood to seep through the capillaries and pool. The specific area of pressure will be the same colour as the rest of the body and a pattern of contact may well be evident.
PUTREFACTION
Derives from the Latin putrefacere, meaning âto make rottenâ.
The body becomes rotten through the process known as autolysis, which is the liquefaction of bodily tissue and organs and the breakdown of proteins within the body due to the increased presence of bacteria.
The first visible sign is the discoloration of the skin in the area of the abdomen.
Bacteria released from the intestine cause the body to become bloated with a mixture of gases; over time these will leak out, and the smell will intensify to unbearable proportions.
Typically, this will attract flies that will lay eggs, which develop into maggots.
Bloating is most evident in the stomach area, genitals and face, which can become unrecognizable as the tongue and eyes are forced to protrude due to the pressure of the build-up of gases in the body.
At this stage, the body will also begin to lose hair.
The organs typically decompose in a particular order: starting with the stomach, followed by the intestines, heart, liver, brain, lungs, kidney, bladder and uterus/prostate.
Once all the gases have escaped the skin begins to turn black: this stage is called âblack putrefactionâ.
As with all the other stages of death so far, the rate of putrefaction depends on temperature and location. A body exposed to the air above ground will decompose more quickly than a body left in water or buried below ground.
During putrefaction, blistering of the skin and fermentation can also occur:
Fermentation - a type of mould that will grow on the surface of the body. This mould appears white, and is slimy or furry in texture. It also releases a very strong, unpleasant, cheesy smell.
As the putrefaction process comes to an end, fly and maggot activity will become less, which leads to the next stage.
DECOMPOSITION
The body is an organic substance comprising organisms that can be broken down by chemical decomposition.
If the body is outside, any remains that have not been scavenged or consumed by maggots will liquefy and seep into the surrounding soil.
Thus when the body decomposes it is effectively recycled and returned to nature.
SKELETONIZATION
The final stage of death is known as âdry decayâ, when the cadaver has all but dried out: the soft tissue has all gone and only the skeleton remains.
If the cadaver is outside, not only is it exposed to the elements but it also becomes food for scavengers such as rats, crows or foxes.
As the remains are scavenged, the body parts become dispersed so it is not unusual to find skeletal remains some distance from where the body lay at the point of death.
The way in which skeletal remains are scattered in such cases is of interest to archaeologists, and is referred to as taphonomy.
Where a body has lain undiscovered at home for a period of time it has also been known for family pets, typically dogs, to feed on the body. The natural instinct of a pet is to attempt to arouse the deceased by licking them, but once it gets hungry, its survival instinct will take over and it will consider the body as little more than carrion: it will act with the same natural instinct as a scavenger in the wild, which will feed on any corpse, be it animal or human, if it is starving.
Obviously the number of pets, the body mass of the deceased and the time lapse before the body is discovered will influence to what extent it has been devoured.
For further research on the stages of decomposition and the factors that affect it, look up body farms. These are medical facilities where bodies are donated for research purposes so scientists can specifically observe the decomposition process. However, be aware that some of the images are quite graphic.
Source â More: References â Autopsy â Pain & Violence â Injuries
Bereavement â Death & Sacrifice â Cheating Death â Death Conceptions
A list of resources to help you describe different colors in your writing.
The Color Thesaurus A collection of infographics that show various shades of different colors, each shade/color labeled by name.
Color Reference Chart Another collection of infographics that show various shades of different colors, each shade/color labeled by name.
Hair Color Reference Chart A collection of infographics that show various shades of different hair colors, each shade/color labeled by name.
Eye Color Reference Chart A collection of infographics that show various shades of blue, brown, and green eye colors, each shade/color labeled by name.
Different Ways to Describe Hazel Eyes A list of ideas and suggestions for describing hazel eyes. Can be used as prompts or for brainstorming.
Different Ways to Describe Green Eyes A list of ideas and suggestions for describing green eyes. Can be used as prompts or for brainstorming.
Different Ways to Describe Blue Eyes A list of ideas and suggestions for describing blue eyes. Can be used as prompts or for brainstorming.
Different Ways to Describe Brown Eyes A list of ideas and suggestions for describing brown eyes. Can be used as prompts or for brainstorming.
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Iâm a writer, poet, and editor. I share writing resources that Iâve collected over the years and found helpful for my own writing. If you like my blog, follow me for more resources! âĄ
I use my blog to share writing resources that Iâve collected over the years. Iâve recently gotten some new followers, so I thought I would make a list of many of these resources for easy reference. Â
(However, this is not a complete list of all the resources Iâve posted. For more writing resources, feel free to check out my blog.)
Encouragement for Writers
Writerâs Block & Procrastination
Writing Your Storyâs Plot
How to Write a Scene
Choosing a Setting for Your Story
Character Arc & Character Development
Character Traits
How to Write Heroes & Villains
Elemental Magic & Superpowers
Writing Magic Systems
Fantasy Writing & World-Building
Writing Fight Scenes
Swords and Bows
Writing Mermaids
Writing Relationships & Romance
Romance & Relationship Prompts
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Iâm a writer, poet, and editor. I share writing resources that Iâve collected over the years and found helpful for my own writing. If you like my blog, follow me for more resources! âĄ
2) sex in front of a big window where anyone could glance up and spot them
3) fully clothed x stark naked
4) slow sex while one or both are injured (bonus points if itâs after a battle or after theyâve patched up each otherâs wounds)
5) body worshippingÂ
6) marathon session (they just fucking keep going, babyyyy)
7) finding a somewhat private area at a fancy party to fuck (coat closet, empty office, secluded corner on the big balcony, hedge maze if we wanna get dramatic, etc)Â
8) oops, we were just hiding in this closet, but then the close proximity get us too turned on not to fuck
9) revenge sex
10) finding their partnerâs sex toy/toys and making them play with it in front of them
11) quickie where you donât take any clothes off, just tug and pull and expose the essentialsÂ
12) fucking, but one is still trying to keep all of their attention on the game they are playing
13) getting a little too handsy on the dancefloor
14) library sex for those dark academia vibes
15) jealous sex in the alleyway behind the bar
16) accidental i love youâs during sexÂ
17) seeing the love marks they left on their partner later and getting turned on all over again remember how it got there in the first place
18) a/b/o
19) getting turned on by their partnerâs new uniform for work and then roleplaying a bit
