The girl who couldn't cry: Chapter 7

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6

The dream she had that afternoon changed things. She dreamed she was sculpting something from wood. A tree, old, extremely large, but utterly dead was in front of her. She could feel nothing from it and it pleased her. The tree was caught in a giant lathe. Ari was tiny in comparison. She climbed a hover-ladder and began to carve into the trunk of the tree. All she was using was a small woodcarving tool, a laser carver that melted into the wood cleanly and precisely. She looked down the length of the giant dead hulk of wood and smiled. This was her life's work. She would carve into that tree a ring for every tear she ever wanted to shed and couldn't. The tree would become her last remaining spiral before she died.

When the supper bell rang later that evening, Ari was sitting on the side of her bed. She wanted to make the dream come true. She wanted to sculpt her tears and leave them behind her as a lasting reminder to the world. She went to the communications console on the wall panel.

"Ariadne Modification Sector 12 request please?” She pronounced into the speaker. The blue communications 'On' light lit up.

"Yes?" came a stifled male voice through Perspex and metal.

"I want to sculpt a spiral in wood. May I be provided with a dead tree, a large lathe and wood carving tools please?" She asked with the complete knowledge that it - or something close to it - would be provided to her no matter how strange her request.

"Yes Ariadne Sector 12. Tomorrow we will send in a Counsellor to obtain further details about your request. Do you need more paper in the meantime? Charcoal perhaps?"

"Yes" she replied simply.

"It will be in your room when you return from your meal. Enjoy your evening Ariadne Modification Sector 12." The disembodied voice trailed off and the communications "On" light faded out.

…to be continued. (I hope)