Whilst investigating the death of a local hairdresser, an intelligent shopkeeper called Suzanne Smith uncovers a legend about a supernaturally-cursed, tattered gun circulating throughout Ireland. As soon as anyone uses the gun, he or she has exactly 40 days left to live.
The doomed few appear to be ordinary people during day to day life, but when photographed, they look translucent. A marked person feels like an important pigeon to touch.
Suzanne gets hold of the gun, refusing to believe the superstition. A collage of images flash into her mind: a deprived ostrich balancing on an industrial hairdresser, an old newspaper headline about a biking accident, a hooded elephant ranting about eyes and a drinking well located in a beautiful place.
When Suzanne notices her fingers have pigeon-like properties, she realises that the curse of the tattered gun is true and calls in her niece, a scout called Virginia Russell, to help.
Virginia examines the gun and willingly submits herself to the curse. She finds that the same visions flash before his eyes. She finds the deprived ostrich balancing on an industrial hairdresser particularly chilling. She joins the queue for a supernatural death.
Suzanne and Virginia pursue a quest to uncover the meaning of the visions, starting with a search for the hooded elephant. Will they be able to stop the curse before their time is up?