Whilst investigating the death of a local detective, an intuitive hairdresser called Michelle Bishop uncovers a legend about a supernaturally-cursed, giant torch circulating throughout Scotland. As soon as anyone uses the torch, he or she has exactly 20 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 brown tortoise to touch.
Michelle gets hold of the torch, refusing to believe the superstition. A collage of images flash into her mind: an idyllic kitten balancing on a snowy detective, an old newspaper headline about a skating accident, a hooded cat ranting about moles and a drinking well located in a damp place.
When Michelle notices her legs have tortoise-like properties, she realises that the curse of the giant torch is true and calls in her friend, a actor called Mark Torrance, to help.
Mark examines the torch and willingly submits himself to the curse. He finds that the same visions flash before his eyes. He finds the idyllic kitten balancing on a snowy detective particularly chilling. He joins the queue for a supernatural death.
Michelle and Mark pursue a quest to uncover the meaning of the visions, starting with a search for the hooded cat. Will they be able to stop the curse before their time is up?
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