Chapter 1: Introduction
Angelina appeared in the blink of an eye in the shabby alley.
Well, maybe blink of an eye wasn't the right expression, given she wasn't human. It was more like a gently aglow, euphoria-inducing appearance.
Her luminous arrival was swiftly absorbed into the atmosphere, however, and the breeze swept away her ethereal beauty as quickly as it appeared.
She was sent to this backwater: this town plagued by moral degeneration.
Her hands trembled, sensitive from her first-ever materialization.
Hesitating a moment, she hid her wings from prying eyes, praying earnestly for this cold, unkind world not to defile her.
Her eyes scanned the alley, and dread crept into her pure heart. A revolting sight: the walls tagged with garish colors, the seemingly bottomless, trash-filled bins, the overgrown cracks in the once-firm ground.
Such desperate neglect, the alley painfully symbolizing a place the inhabitants had long forgotten. Little did they know, a sacred presence would touch their turf tonight.
Angelina took tentative steps forward, fading in further amongst them. Her delicate ears caught a faint rustling alongside her; she turned her glowing gaze upon an undesirable character.
"Well look at what we got here, an expensive piece of ass.Haven't seen anything this fine in these parts." Mr. Leecher sniggered, ogling Angelina with obscenity. She blinked, uncomfortable yet curious, as Mr. Leecher's hand eagerly moved under his long coat.
Angelina took an instinctive step back. "I am looking for the church," she meekly inquired, ignoring his lewd display. But Mr. Leecher remained transfixed.
"Oh, the church, eh?" he drawled. How much would this innocent lamb fetch? So fresh, so gullible.
"Forget the church, why don't I show you around myself?" The double entendre was hanging heavy in the musty alley air.
Angelina, unschooled in such impure insinuations, stared blankly at the man's vulgar face.
"Mr. Leecher, could you please just show me the way to the churce?" She asked, accidentally using her magic to learn the man's name. Fortunately he didn't think this strange.
"Ooh, someone knows me! And why do you need the church, adorable?" His oily charm oozed out. He knew how to manipulate the naive ones when he met them. She proved not to be an exception.
Her large blue eyes were guileless, and she was too serene for this dingy alley.
Angelina didn't cower at his threats or behave aggressively towards his forwardness. According to his twisted standards, her calmness would only ignite his primitive desires further.
He continued licking his cracked lips. "Tell ya what. Before I take you to the church," Mr. Leecher said, with a fake benevolent smile, "get me a bottle from that liquor store two blocks from here."
He handed Angelina a twenty-dollar bill.
It looked awfully tattered and stained, not unlike him.
"But I-" she hesitated, reluctant to leave the church as a task for later.
"Now, now, I thought you religious types were trustworthy creatures." The sinister smirk on his unshaven face was impossible to miss.
An unfamiliar feeling escaped Angelina, when she finally agreed, "Okay, but you have to keep your promise and lead me to the church afterward. I'm new in town, and I'm not sure where to find the church." Angelina sighed. She was accustomed to grace, airiness, and limitless light, quite the contrast to this wretched alley where thorny weeds battled through thick smog and shattered glass.
Spiritually, however, this alley mirrored where her town had headed. She looked deep into Mr. Leecher's murky eyes, uncertain whether he would show her the way or hinder her journey.
As Angelina went to collect the goods, Mr. Leecher leaned insidiously against the graffiti-covered wall, his gaze heavy on her.
The moon hid behind the bulging clouds while a sly wind whistled quietly through the overstuffed bins.
She returned with the bottle, and the man gestured to a darker corner, away from the meagre amount of streetlight penetrating the alley. He procured a flask, his hand shaking with excitement.
He poured the questionable liquor into the filthy container and took a long swig. Mr. Leecher greedily devoured Angelina's dazzling visage, fascinated by the way her serenity penetrated the gloom.
Angelina watched curiously, anxiously fidgeting as she tried to grasp why he showed no signs of leaving the alley.
"Will you show me the church now please?" Angelina asked. She knew her impatience was unbecoming of an angel, but she was eager to begin her work.
After another graze of his hazy eyes, Mr. Leecher seemed to remember his end of the bargain. Roaring with laughter, he crumpled the bottle receipt and approached Angelina with unsettling proximity.
For a moment, she wished she could wrap herself in her ethereal wings, but hiding her true nature was critical. Her newly limited divine power was both an advantage and a weakness in this morally eroded town.
Angelina's breath caught when Mr. Leecher placed his grimy paw onto her delicate shoulder, a shiver prickling down her spine. "I've changed my mind," he growled, a wicked glint gleaming in his eye.
Her heart raced. The alley felt so confining. Angelina was unable to take flight and escape with her gift, a bitter reminder of the fate that befell her in human form.
"Just kidding!" Mr. Leecher flashed a greasy faux charming smile. Relief washed over Angelina. "Just let me take a piss first." Mr. Leecher wheezed, his mock charm turning sour with each passing second.
Angelina glanced around nervously, wishing she could disappear into the shadows cornering the alley. How many times did angels forfeit their virginity for the sake of saving errant souls? She wondered silently, a growing sensation of despair permeating her thoughts.