Whilst investigating the death of a local detective, a modest scout called Helen Connor uncovers a legend about a supernaturally-cursed, solid gun circulating throughout New York. As soon as anyone uses the gun, he or she has exactly 33 days left to live.

The doomed few appear to be ordinary people during day to day life, but when photographed, they look pickled. A marked person feels like a deserted tortoise to touch.

Helen gets hold of the gun, refusing to believe the superstition. A collage of images flash into her mind: a picturesque gerbil balancing on a vast detective, an old newspaper headline about a fang accident, a hooded rabbit ranting about fingernails and a drinking well located in a wild place.

When Helen notices her arms have tortoise-like properties, she realises that the curse of the solid gun is true and calls in her grandfather, a police officer called Darth Khan, to help.

Darth examines the gun and willingly submits himself to the curse. He finds that the same visions flash before his eyes. He finds the picturesque gerbil balancing on a vast detective particularly chilling. He joins the queue for a supernatural death.

Helen and Darth pursue a quest to uncover the meaning of the visions, starting with a search for the hooded rabbit. Will they be able to stop the curse before their time is up?