When a sudden encounter with a mysterious student triggers a painful memory for ornithology professor Abel Marks, he’s haunted by the vision of an attempted sexual assault and murder he witnessed while fighting in World War II. Compelled to seek out the student in hopes of assuaging his guilt, Abel quickly loses his grip on the reality he so delicately constructed. Ultimately, he’s forced to confront the dark truth of what actually happened – and who he really is.

A sensitive young man who relishes time in nature is at odds with the rough urban culture in which he lives.