Dead Leaves Fall

Thirty-three-year-old Clancy Douglas is a community college music professor in Bridge Heights, Pennsylvania. He is also a widower. His wife, Emilia, died just 8 months into their marriage. With his mind unable to cope with the fact that his wife is gone, Clancy descends into a world where she is still alive – he talks to her, cooks for her, and goes about his day normally as if nothing ever happened. Because to him, nothing ever did. Emilia’s death was illegitimate. Clancy refuses to let anyone declare Emilia dead, even turning to murder to silence those who disrespect her.

But amid his descent into madness, Clancy still manages to enjoy life. He even meets a new friend at the local park, a 68-year-old man named Sam, a widower himself. Clancy and Sam form a bond discussing their lives at the park. They share intimate details with each other and discuss what it means to live in a world where death is inevitable. Before long, Sam becomes interested in meeting Emilia. Of course, Clancy is thrilled to introduce the two of them. But there's one problem: Sam doesn’t know that Emilia is actually dead – and he might be soon, too.