Warning: Possible spoilers for 'Homecoming'.
I lean against the weight of of the blade I carry, my footfalls echoing in the empty halls like thunder as I shamble, a hulking beast, a fixture of this town. My breath rasps in my chest, and what drives me to walk is a purpose. I wouldn't be walking if I didn't have one; I'd be content to hibernate, but a presence out of the ordinary calls me. It's a subtle presence, dancing in between sixth sense and predatory instinct. I need to find it, find who it is, find out all about them. There have been presences in this town before, and I sense them briefly before realizing that my services are not needed, but this one- this one beckons. I halt and stand stock-still in the hallway, immediately rolling my wrist, lifting the tip of the blade from the grimy tiles, and I wait in complete silence. I hold my breath, turning my iron helmet to scan my harshly-lit surroundings. A series of scrapes and thumps catches my attention from the junctions of two hallways, and with a growl, I continue, hoping that the presence waits for me. Preferably trapped by the barrier of debris I've passed multiple times.
I let the blade fall, continuing onward towards whatever is in the other hallway with renewed determination, walking as fast as my burdens will allow. Glossy black insects squeak as they skitter by, their sharp legs hissing over the wood floor that groans beneath my weight. Joy, to the extent that I can feel such an emotion, expands my chest. I approximate the steps until I can see my prey.
Three steps...
Two steps...
One step.
A human, smeared with blood and wild-eyed with fright, stares back at me as I face him. He steps back instinctively- don't run, don't run, don't run- and again, I lift the blade. I gaze at him, a stranger, and let myself grow accustomed to him. Images flash in my brain; those memories, suppressed in the tense creature's mind, flood mine as if I've lived them myself. Everything is bared to me, his soul, his secrets.
There. You're not so much of a stranger now, are you? I know all about you; I've waited since the accident for you. It was merely a matter of time that we'd meet here, staring each other down, both of us forgetting our weapons. You're looking for a sibling, I know. But is that all? If you had your own memories, the ones I have now, you'd know that it goes deeper than a missing brother. You're seeking answers, no, not quite, maybe it's acceptance...? No. In the deepest corners of your mind, it's forgiveness that you want.
If it's forgiveness you want, it's a little late to seek it. The ones you want forgiveness from are dead or about to die. If you truly sought forgiveness, you wouldn't be here, with me, in this decrepit old building, in this decrepit old town. You've broken something that can't be fixed, and that's why I sensed you when you first washed up on shore like a piece of wretched driftwood, because I'm not forgiveness. If you came here earlier, accepting what you'd done and searching to punish yourself, then I'd be forgiveness. But since you've stifled everything, fabricated a life that was not your own, I have to step in and bear the brunt of your responsibility.
As I walk on, you breathe a sigh of relief. Don't worry. I'll see you soon enough.
I hope the shift in narration wasn't too much of a crime against writing, because as I write this, it seems like a really good idea.
I really wanted to write a fic from the Bogeyman's POV, as this idea has been running through my brain for a while, just begging to be written. I hope you enjoyed it!