Me, Myself, and My Dog Titan
(Khumo Mabe's POV)
My name's Khumo Mabe, fifteen years old, certified introvert, and the literal definition of lonely as shit.
Like, no cap, I barely talk to anyone outside my family, and even then I keep it short. Teachers think I'm "quiet but smart," classmates think I'm "weird," and I think I just don't give a damn.
I don't hang out with friends, I don't go to parties, and I sure as hell don't care about whatever social media trend is cooking this week. The only thing that keeps me from going insane is Titan—my dog. My best friend. My everything.
Titan isn't just a dog, he's my dog. Big fluffy golden retriever, always wagging his tail like he won the lottery just by existing next to me. The way he'd wait at the door when I came home from school, tongue hanging out, eyes shining—yeah… if love had a face, it'd be his dumb happy one.
So, picture this: I'm chilling, living my best antisocial life, trying to mind my own damn business, when some dumbass transfer students stroll into class. Three of them. Loud, cocky, with that "we own the place" energy. The kind of guys who think bullying is a sport.
And of course, who do they target?
Me.
Apparently, I look like "easy prey." The quiet kid, sitting in the corner with his sketchbook, not bothering anyone. They thought I'd roll over and take it.
Spoiler alert: I didn't.
First day, they start throwing crap at me—erasers, paper balls, whatever. I ignore it. Second day, one of them tries to trip me in the hallway. I step over his leg and keep walking like it never happened. Third day… one of them actually pushes me. Like, full-on shove.
That's when I snapped.
I don't remember exactly how it went down. All I know is one second I was standing there, and the next I had one guy's arm twisted behind his back, the other eating floor tiles, and the third staring at me like I'd turned into the Hulk. My knuckles stung, my heart was pounding, and my face was cold as ice.
I didn't even think—I just moved.
And they went down like trash bags.
I told them flat-out: "Mess with me again, and you'll regret it."
Thing is… they did.
But not with me.
With Titan.
Cowards. Pathetic bastards. They couldn't handle me, so they went after the only thing I cared about.
I came home one day, calling Titan's name like always. Usually, he'd bolt toward me, tail wagging, barking like a maniac. But that day… nothing. The yard was quiet. Too quiet.
I found him in the back, lying there. Still. His fur matted. His body cold.
And just like that, my world stopped.
My chest hollowed out, my lungs froze, my hands shook so bad I couldn't even touch him at first. Titan, my Titan—the one who never left my side—was just… gone.
And something inside me broke.
I don't know what triggered it. Rage? Grief? That emptiness swallowing me whole? But I swear my vision blurred, and when I blinked, my reflection in the shed window had glowing purple eyes staring back at me.
Titan's body started to float.
I'm not kidding. His corpse… lifted into the air like gravity just gave up. His fur rippled, bones cracking, his form twisting into something monstrous. A howl built in his throat—a sound no normal dog should've been able to make.
And then… he changed.
Titan grew. His muscles stretched, claws extending, his golden fur darkening into a shadowy mane. His teeth sharpened into fangs, and his happy dog face twisted into a feral, beastly snarl.
What rose before me wasn't just Titan anymore. It was a werewolf, a nightmare beast, a monster straight out of horror movies. But when his glowing eyes locked onto mine, I knew—it was still him.
He threw his head back and howled into the night sky. A howl so loud, so sharp, it felt like it cut straight through me. My ears rang, my heart pounded, my whole body shook.
And me? I just stood there, jaw hanging, tears stuck in my eyes.
"What the hell…" I whispered, voice cracking.
I wanted it to be a dream. A hallucination. Anything but real.
Because if this was real, then… what the hell was I?
My hands were trembling, my mind racing. I could taste iron in my mouth, feel the heat in my eyes. My thoughts looped: This isn't happening. This isn't real. This isn't me.
But Titan was standing right there—breathing, alive, transformed into something terrifying and beautiful at the same time.
And I was the one who made it happen.