Soul Soil (aka Eriko Takahashi): A Life Cut Short

“I thought I was a hero - that I dropped the unimportant stuff to go do something special. I was Soul Soil. That was all a lie. I'm nothing now. I'm nobody.”

- The Diary of Eriko Takahashi - Final Entry

“The loss of Eriko is a great tragedy for the school and all those who were lucky enough to know her. A dedicated student and a kind and caring friend, her secret double-life as one of the Soul Sisters, despite all the dangers inherent in such activities, showed us all that in spite of whatever might be holding you back, anything is possible if you dream big enough. That she was able to achieve so much good for the world while battling such a horrendous illness as she had is an inspiration to us all. Her final act to protect her sisters was an act of selfless bravery and utter courage of which few of us could ever claim to be capable of. And so, let us now observe a minute's silence to reflect not just on what has been lost in death, but on all that Eriko Takahashi was able to achieve in life.”

- Warwick Darcy, Headmaster of Marlow High School, speaking at a Special Assembly shortly after Eriko's death

Words Left Unsaid

All around her lay leaves, sticks, stones, puddles… a veritable forest floor. Eriko hopped forward between rocks, her true affinity with the earth and soil unquestionable.

From behind the glass, Tim watched the frog with vacant eyes. This was all he had left of her, now.

If only he'd known… if only he'd asked… if only he hadn't put things off, because there would also be another day later, and another after that… they'd had all the time in the world. Or so he'd thought.

Yes, the frog belonged to his sister and not him, but he had insisted on naming it after the girl who had found it for him - one final thought for she who had gone to such lengths to grab his heart - and won.