Whilst investigating the death of a local swordsman, a special painter called Dream uncovers a legend about a supernaturally-cursed, ribbed record circulating throughout Devon. As soon as anyone uses the record, 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 shrunken.

A marked person feels like a damp koala to touch.

Dream gets hold of the record, refusing to believe the superstition.

A collage of images flash into his mind: a pretty frog balancing on an icy swordsman, an old newspaper headline about a drunk driving accident, a hooded maggot ranting about ankles and a drinking well located in a sunny place.

When Dream notices his toes have koala-like properties, he realises that the curse of the ribbed record is true and calls in his sister, a mechanic called George, to help.

George examines the record and willingly submits herself to the curse.

She finds that the same visions flash before his eyes.

She finds the pretty frog balancing on an icy swordsman particularly chilling. She joins the queue for a supernatural death.

Dream and George pursue a quest to uncover the meaning of the visions, starting with a search for the hooded maggot.

Will they be able to stop the curse before their time is up?

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Words: 228

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