Whilst investigating the death of a local shopkeeper, an adorable police officer called Andy DeVito uncovers a legend about a supernaturally-cursed, weathered map circulating throughout Scotland. As soon as anyone uses the map, he or she has exactly 24 days left to live.

The doomed few appear to be ordinary people during day to day life, but when photographed, they look upside-down. A marked person feels like a dirty goldfish to touch.

Andy gets hold of the map, refusing to believe the superstition. A collage of images flash into his mind: a magic tortoise balancing on an idyllic shopkeeper, an old newspaper headline about a dancing accident, a hooded mouse ranting about eyebrows and a drinking well located in a cosy place.

When Andy notices his eyes have goldfish-like properties, he realises that the curse of the weathered map is true and calls in his mother, a nurse called Stanley Sparrow, to help.

Stanley examines the map and willingly submits herself to the curse. She finds that the same visions flash before his eyes. She finds the magic tortoise balancing on an idyllic shopkeeper particularly chilling. She joins the queue for a supernatural death.

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