The loud whir of machinery lulled in my thoughts as I pushed the metal rod up and down.

My mind, as always, was elsewhere. Warm pink clouds floating within a soft yellow sky. They looked so much like candy floss or cotton balls, swollen up with sweet rose water. I had been completely enamored by them on my way into work. The clatter of stalls setting up in the early morning, and the soft tap of my shoes against the cobblestones. People rushed by shaking off their hats and coats to set out upon another day of toil. Dew slipped off of the roof tiles and made the stones horribly slick. I stepped intently, holding my thread bare skirts with one hand and balancing my shawl and lunch in my other hand.

I could remember the scene so clearly and reveled in the soft morning clarity over the tough oily grime of the factory and it overwhelming buzzes and clanks.

My arm hurt terribly so I moved to switch them slightly. I let go with my left hand to shake the feeling back into it. In that half a second the left side of the rod yanked up and snatched my cuff into the machine.

I tried desperately to pull it out to no avail, I heard Ella shriek and rush past as my arm was dragged further and further into the machine.

I pulled desperately. I screamed and collapsed and thrashed against the Machine as it dragged my arm through the sharp metal teeth.

Deep green Thread tangled itself around my hand and dug into my skin viciously. Frantic tears spilled down my cheeks as the machine devoured me bit by bit before slowing to a stop.

Ella rushed up to me along with several others. They gathered around me chattering amongst themselves worriedly as a few approached the machine and attempted to separate my arm from its relentless jaws. the others soon began cutting thread and prying apart pieces while I tried to calm down and breathe through the pain with linni. It was white hot and miserable. Fat tears rolled down my cheeks as they pried metal from my wounds and pressed somewhat clean rags down to staunch the bleeding.

Suddenly as they were cutting down the last bit of thread a furious voice boomed through the crowd, "WHAT ARE YOU BRATS DOING?!" Mr scrat screeched frantically. He tore through The crowd and grabbed my shoulder, jerking me up and away from the machine. The remaining treads snagged into my flesh tightly. I shrieked in pain as he pulled me back away from the machine, forcing the threads in further. One of the boys scrambled to cut the threads away from the machine and narrowly avoided being backhanded for his meddling.

Finally with my arm freed from the teeth and threads I simply hung limp in his hand as he screamed. More tears dripped down my face as I cradled my mangled arm pitifully. I could barely her Mr scrats words through the panic and the pain. Although eventually he dropped me to the ground and stomped off, shoeing the others back to their work as he did so.

Rough, slender hands tended to my wound and picked me up gingerly. I could just barely make out Mr snelic through my tears as he lifted and carried me out to a buggy in front of the factory. He loaded me into the back with towels under my arm and drove off Down the street. After what seemed like a millennium of driving through potholes and fading in and out of mind and inhaling what had to be a

pound of smoke we finally, blessedly stopped.

Mr snelic lifted me up and out of the back and carried me into a crisp white building with a deep brown waiting room and forest green furniture. He sat me down on one of the couches and walked up to the front desk. The room was filled with grumpy looking men and women with crying children and buzzing from somewhere. Mr snelic came and kneeled beside me, handing me a piece of paper with the number 421 on it.

"I've got to go but doctor claughburg will be assisting you very soon sweetheart. Try to relax and be patient,this doctor is spectacular and he'll take very good care of you." He whispered. Then he stood and strode out quickly.

I was alone. Alone and terrified and in horrible pain. The thought made me tear up again and I began crying silently while clutching my arm. My body felt like it was full of water and I could hardly move or think. My head was foggy and my eyes kept drifting closed as I waited. Eventually I was shaken awake by a big white man in a grey suit.

"hello sweetie, do you have an appointment?" He said softly. I nodded awake and looked around before remembering the piece of paper in my hand. I nodded and lifted it up to show him. He glanced at it and smiled, "well then it's your turn little one! Come on back!" I barely managed to shove myself up on shaky legs and hobble my way behind him.

He led me back to a small room with a few instruments and helped lift me up onto the bedside.

"Looks like you've gotten up to no good, huh?" He chuckled. I scowled at him and grimaced as he inspected my cuts.

"Hmmm..looks like you'll need stitches sweetheart. Got some pretty nasty cuts on you here. What happened to you anyhow?"

"The machine at my job tried to eat me." I grumbled through my teeth as he pressed disinfectant into the cuts. It burned like nothing else and my eyes watered from the pain it caused. He prepared a needle after cleaning everything and injected a numbing agent throughout my arm and hand.

Once the pain medication kicked in he began sewing up the deeper cuts. My head swam from the medicine and my vision fell in and out as the doctor worked. Before I realized it he had finished and he was patting my cheek in a soothing attempt to wake me.