Whilst investigating the death of a local librarian, a protective detective called Equius Zahhak uncovers a legend about a supernaturally-cursed, purple gun circulating throughout Nebraska. As soon as anyone uses the gun, he or she has exactly 365(or 366 on a leap year) days left to live.

The doomed few appear to be ordinary people during day to day life, but when photographed, they look grey and translucent. A marked person feels like a fluffy dog to touch.

Equius gets hold of the gun, refusing to believe the superstition. A collage of images flash into his mind: a scaly snake balancing on an angry librarian, an old newspaper headline about a SBurb accident, a hooded rabbit ranting about WW2 and a drinking well located in a well-hidden place.

When Equius notices his legs have dog-like properties, he realises that the curse of the purple gun is true and calls in his morial, a gardener called Nepeta Leigon, to help.

Nepeta examines the gun and willingly submits herself to the curse. She finds that the same visions flash before his eyes. She finds the scaly snake balancing on an angry librarian particularly chilling. She joins the queue for a supernatural death.

Equius and Nepeta 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?