Horror story
Whilst investigating the death of a local nurse, a smart teacher called Tristan Butterscotch uncovers a legend about a supernaturally-cursed, tiny ruler circulating throughout Devon. As soon as anyone uses the ruler, 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 pickled. A marked person feels like a chubby elephant to touch.
Tristan gets hold of the ruler, refusing to believe the superstition. A collage of images flash into his mind: a peculiar guppy balancing on a beautiful nurse, an old newspaper headline about a polo accident, a hooded goldfish ranting about toes and a drinking well located in a magical place.
When Tristan notices his thighs have elephant-like properties, he realises that the curse of the tiny ruler is true and calls in his brother, a housekeeper called Brad Thornton, to help.
Brad examines the ruler and willingly submits himself to the curse. He finds that the same visions flash before his eyes. He finds the peculiar guppy balancing on a beautiful nurse particularly chilling. He joins the queue for a supernatural death.
Tristan and Brad pursue a quest to uncover the meaning of the visions, starting with a search for the hooded goldfish. Will they be able to stop the curse before their time is up?