The Mistfits Series, Book 1
Fantasy
Date Published: October 1, 2025
Publisher: Phenomenal One Press
Penelope Pawn had an addiction. She liked candy, sword-fighting shadows,
and boys. Still, something was seriously wrong and she couldn’t put her
finger on it. Being homeless wasn’t as bad for her as it was for most.
She had a way of collecting kids that turned into family, like brothers and
sisters. Unfortunately, every time another kid agreed to come with her to the
hiding place she’d created, a rush of power would surge through her like
she’d consumed a drug, sealed a deal, or done something wrong. There was
one guy, though, who wouldn’t come. When Terek showed up at her
doorstep, a place well hidden from most others, and demanded she heed his
warning, it was the first time she feared an enemy's strength. Was he a
challenge that could become her savior, revealing the truth of her past to
her? Could this boy show her how to repair the fiber of the world she’d
unknowingly ripped apart, causing a catastrophic end to the home she’d
built for herself and the lost ones?
Excerpt
A dark hand jutted out of the vapor to grab the girl. Another sooty figure with glowing eyes peeked from the mist. The creatures may have been zombies, but they were smart and too quick to be made of rotting flesh.
“Don’t go in the fog!” Peppa whispered.
The girl was a fighter, but whatever got hold of her was stronger. The runaway struggled against the thick figure hidden by the shadows of the surrounding buildings. It had slipped out of the fog. Its arm was around her neck pulling her toward the gray mass. Peppa dropped from the roof, landing silently on the ground. Her dark green pants fit firmly over her hips, allowing ease of movement. The leather vest, cinched at her waist beneath her weapons belt, stretched when she surged to the side. Kicking back, her foot landed on the fiend, breaking its rib. The thing dropped to the ground. It didn’t make a sound while it crawled into the haze. Peppa snatched her knife from the belt on her boot. She turned, aiming at a jutting dark gray hand that covered across the girl’s mouth. Another hand wrapped around the girl’s waist, dragging her farther into the thick mist.
“Ya!” Peppa flipped forward, pulling a whip from her side. She flicked the handle. Its tail lashed, entwining the girl’s leg. Peppa used the leverage to kick at the grayish creature covered in black ash. The red orbs of the attacker’s eyes glowed. Its trench coat flung open to reveal a misshapen gray leg. The creature threw the girl down and jumped out of the fog with an opened mouth crowded with sharp white teeth and an elongated jaw. Peppa loosened the whip’s hold on the girl then narrowed her eyes at the figure, who resembled a male, but it wasn’t human. Jagged lines zigzagged on its face and hands like the monster had been pieced together. It was an unnatural life. He may have been human at once, but his grey pallor, black eyes, and sunken skin showed a hunger that was not normal.
It lunged for Peppa. The runaway girl didn’t wait around but took off running. Peppa wasn’t going to waste another weapon on this thing. The girl was gone, so Peppa didn’t focus on saving anyone. She shrugged and flicked her whip, snatching up her knife with it. Peppa lifted her fist, opening it just beneath her mouth then blew through the middle. Golden dust, the color of her skin, flew from her hand and, as it entered the air, created a web that wrapped around the lunging opponent. It squeezed and pulled him tight, to the point he struggled to breathe.
“Behave, or it will get tighter. The dust has a mind of its own.” Peppa shrugged.
About the Author
L.M. Preston, a native of Washington, DC. An avid reader, she loved to create poetry and short-stories as a young girl. She is an author, an engineer, a professor, a mother and a wife. Her passion for writing and helping others to see their potential through her stories and encouragement has been her life’s greatest adventures.She loves to write while on the porch watching her kids play or when she is traveling, which is another passion that encouraged her writing.
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