In the Woods... (VARIOUS DARKWOOD X READER FICS) (REQUESTS OPEN)

Shelter (Piotrek x Reader) (PART ONE)

(Quick A/N... idk Piotrek's canon age. I've made him 17 here... idk if that's accurate. Reader/(y/n) is also 17 in this part. Y/n's age varies depending on what character they are being shipped with. Love y'all.)
(Slight gender-neutrality. I apologize if the part about Sally Ride ruins immersion for any boys reading this, and feel free to leave me writing tips in the comments! 💕)

Running, running, running. It never seemed to cease.

The night seemed endless. You prayed under what little breath you could retain in your lungs that you would find shelter before the sun was completely gone. Your heavy panting was visible in clouds of condensation, which, as you ran, left a very temporary trail behind you.

The cold, musty air was now beginning to burn your throat and labored lungs. You still ran, though your leg muscles ached with an indescribable feeling. You felt like if you were to stop, you wouldn't be able to run anymore, but if you weren't to stop, you could run until you were dead. Slowing down a small amount, you were giving up hope. Where could shelter possibly be in these endless woods?

Dodging sickly, gnarled trees, you began to enter a thick fog. A fog you swore you could feel as you flailed your arms, futilely trying to shoo it out of your way. It was then that your madly-waving hand brushed against what felt like leather. You nearly stopped, but didn't, knowing that if you did stop, you'd pay. You heard the leather's wretched screech as it began to follow you, but you didn't dare to look back at it. What could it have been? A savage? A chomper? Some other, new creature, twisted and gnarled by the plague? You didn't care, at this point, all you wanted was shelter.

You were beginning to tire right as you spotted dim, slatted light in the distance. You threw your hands up, beginning again to run at full speed towards this light source. At this point, you didn't even know whether or not the creature you provoked was still chasing you. You didn't care. You had found shelter!!

Nearing the dimly-lit shed, the fog around you began to clear and the atmosphere seemed to be clearing as well. The shed appeared to be attached to a spacious-looking house. Next to the house lay a pile of junk, which looked as if it were being fashioned into a spaceship. Quite odd, even for this place. You ran closer and closer, locating a door on the side of the establishment and quickly bursting through, slamming the door behind you and collapsing on the ground in a panting, sweating mess. The room was quite dark, and cobwebs decorated the ceiling corners. It smelled a little musty. Your (h/c) hair was tangled and frizzy, and probably crawling with various insects. You tried to sit up, but your legs did not want you to. They didn't feel solid.. they didn't even feel like jelly. They felt like they had liquefied, and were now burning and cramping. Just as you began to crawl, two feet clod in heavy, black work boots obstructed your vision. You looked up, seeing a dirty-faced young man, appearing similar in age to you, staring back down.

"Who are you?" He asked.

"I- I'm," you said, through wheezes, "I'm (y/n)... who... are you?" You asked in return.

"My name's Piotrek!" He smiled a little and offered you a hand. "Can you walk?"

"Ehhh... normally I can. I just ran.. like.." you counted on your fingers, "maybe 5 miles, out there?" You said, taking his hand and trying to lift yourself up, succeeding for the most part. His eyes widened.

"Oh, gee.. are you alright? Do you need me t-" His words were interrupted by a loud barking noise from the east side of the house, to which he promptly dropped you and ran off. You hit the ground with a thud, but some sort of adrenaline arose within you and you ran after the young man.

"Hey, wait!" You yelled, as you ran after him. "Where are you g- AGH!" You yelped, tripping over a toolbox and falling right back onto your face. Piotrek gasped and, after turning the lights off and lighting a candle, knelt by your side.