Angel looked around and sighed.  How did she end up in this dump? How did her life come to this? Well, if your father was incognito and your mother an alcoholic, it wasn't such a surprise that she would end up like this.  Nights of endless highs and selling herself. Angel tried to get up but couldn't.  This trip didn't last too long and wasn't a very plesant one. She kept seening monsters and her family laughing at her. Teasing her for ending up a chocked-up crack cocaine user.  She had no future.  Angel stayed on the floor and remembered the first time she got high. 

One of her street buddies, Magic, invited her to try the Devil's Dandruff.  Angel was quite the rebel wash-out child so she didn't even think twice.  She was only sixteen but used Ecstasy and other Rave drugs on a regular basis.  Magic put the drug in a tablespoon and added some baking soda and water.  She put the lighter underneath the spoon and soon she heard "cracking" noices.  "That's were the name comes from, Babes." Magic laughed.  The smoked until they were stoned.  Angel had never felt anything like that before.  Soon she was riding the clouds and singing.  Oh how she wanted to feel like that everyday! The high only lasted 20 minutes and she felt so drepressed and wanted to cry.  Magic warned her comming down could be a bit tricky.  She just had to focus and not panic. But Angel couldn't.  She wanted more.

Angel woke up from her dream and wished she never went with Magic that night.  She would have been clean now.  Not that she had anything to be clean for.  Her mother was always drunk with dozens of boyfriends.  She always blamed Angel for her Father's dissapearance. Nobody knew where he was and if he was still alive.  Angel took her few belongings and lived on the street from age seventeen. She couldn't take her mothers nonsence anymore.  She'd make it on her own.

Ha!  she laughed.  Look at me now I'm no better than my mother.

Angel got up and walked to the bathroom.  Her pupils were like saucers and her skin white and clammy.  She had to get another fix or she'd lose it.  She didn't have any money so there was only one thing to do: Sex.

She put on her red mini skirt and silver sparkly top.  It barely covered her young breasts.  Zipping up her knee-lenght black boots she put on some bright red lipstick.  Angel fluffed her hair and walked out the room.  The streets were busy tonight and she was sure to get a catch.  Sure enough after 10 minutes of walking, a black Jaguar stopped next to her and the tinted windows rolled down. A guy in his 50's looked her up and down. "You selling, Peaches?" he said with a evil smile. 

"Depends" she said chewing her gum.

"Oh on what?"

"How much your buying for"

"A hundred for an hour"

Jeez, this guy was desperate she thought.  She rounded the car and got in the front seat.  They drove to a concealed part of the town and she climbed in the back. "Money" she said holding her hand.  He have her the cash and she stuffed it in her boot.  Then the ritual started.  He kissed and slobbered all over her and then went at her.  She closed her eyes like she always does and thinks of something else.

She was a virgin up until she ran out of cash and resources for drugs.  She never had a boyfriend or love interest.  Magic used up all the crack and neither of them had money.  Angel had had a bad day.  She needed a fix.  Then she did the one thing she promised she would never do. Sell her body for drug money. It was the only thing she had left of herself.  But the need was too great.  She walked the streets and a young guy picked her up.  She cried the whole time. He only gave her a fifty.  Not nearly enough.  Then she got a second and third client.  By the next moring she had been with six guys and had enough money for a fix.  She never thought about that night again.

The guy finished and kicked her out of the car. "Goodbye Whore" he said and drove off in his Jaguar.  She was used to comments like that.  Angel rounded a corner and bumped into someone.

"Angel, I've been looking for you all over." He said.  It was Joshua.  Some 23year old Jesus Freak.  He tried over and over again to get her straight but she kept on resisting.  "I don't need your God" was her answer everytime. 

"Leave me alone Joshua. You have no business here." Joshua grabbed hold of her but she ran away from him.  She got to her beat down apartment she shared with Magic and knocked on Prince's door.  The dealer.  She bought her fix and headed for her room.  Once the smoked filled her lungs, she felt alive again.  Whole.  She kept at it the whole night.  She knew she was taking it too far.  Angel had a bottel of Tequila in her hands and kept drinking.  Joshua made her feel dirty.  She wasn't.  She was clean. Whole. Alive. Worth something.

God told Joshua something was wrong with Angel.  He had to stop her. He had been looking for her everywere. When he bumped into her he knew what she had done.  She sold herself again.  God! What should I do? Joshua prayed.  He started running to her aparment and when she didn't answer the door, he broke it down.  He found her unconcious on the floor. She was foaming at the mouth and was as cold as ice.  He picked her up and ran to the nearest hospital.

                                                                   ***************

Angel and Joshua sat on a blanket next to the river.  Everything was so peaceful.

"Joshua, I never got the chance to say thank you for saving me.  I was such a mess." Angel said with tears in her eyes.

Joshua took her hand and said "Angel, you are so precious and wonderful.  There was no other way."

Joshua took her to the river to celebrate the year that she's been clean.  She finished school and had a good job.  She gave her heart to Christ and her life was full. 

Joshua took her hand and pulled something out of his pocket. "Angel, you know I love you.  More than words could say.  Will you please do me the honour and be my wife?"

Angel looked at the beautiful solitaire set in white gold and tears slipped down her cheek.

"Yes" was all she could say.

                                                  *****************

"...to love and to hold in sickness and in health..."

"...before God I promise to love you..."

"...will never hurt or abandon you..."

"...my heart will always belong to you..."

Mr Joshua and Angel St James walked down the aisle and began their life together.

                        ****************

He had never seen her so stunning before. Angel stood in her white and silver wedding dress before him.  Her blonde hare was curled around her peaches and cream face.  Her blue eyes sparkled and her rosebud mouth smiled. Tears ran down her face and Joshua ran to her side.

"What's the matter my love?" he asked concerned.

"Joshua, I am not whole.  Not pure enough for you.  You've never been with anyone and I...I"

"Hush now my darling. All is well.  You are forgiven and cleansed.  You are perfect to me."

Joshua took his wife and loved her like only a man can love his wife. The way God liked it.

Angel cried the whole time but this time from happiness.

"Joshua" she whispered to him. "My name isn't Angel.  It's Grace. My name is Grace."

Joshua cried and knew then she really loved him. 

Grace loved Joshua back with all she had in her.

                               ******************

Grace St James opened a shelter for drug abusers and together with her soulmate, Joshua, saved countless lives.