killer

people consider me a therapist
maybe i am in a way,
my first patient, my only patient
blonde, green eyes, tall, well groomed, female
my treatment takes about a month, four weeks
we begin, she tells me her name
jenna
my name remains in complete secrecy
people don’t contact me
they see me, on a couch, in a coffee shop
i have no degree
just a gift
these people have no idea
they are not aware they are patients
i greet her and begin
she sits silently
taking sips of her latte frequently
she starts to giggle after i’m finished
her latte is empty, she throws her glass mug away

the next week

jenna’s hair is matted
her legs are not shaved
dark circles under her eyes
she gives me a small smile
i begin
she barely moves
she has a new mug with her latte
two sips
that’s it
she leaves her latte and more of her sanity at the shop

week three

jenna’s hair is a knot
her skin is pale
bloodshot eyes
clumsy movement
another new mug with her latte
i begin
her head hangs low
her knitted mess of hair sitting in the latte, drenched
after i finish she leaves
her drink untouched
i smile

week four

jenna shaved her head
her collarbones protrude from her body
her legs twig thin
she crashes into her seat
no mug
no latte
i begin
her head collapses onto the table
no sleep for a long time
i finish
she stumbles away
i don’t see her again
a woman named anna takes her seat
burnette, blue eyes, small
perfect