The Curse of Clyde Langer (TV story): Difference between revisions

Clyde awakes to find himself lying on a makeshift bed beneath a bridge, in a "cardboard city" occupied by the homeless girl, who introduces herself as [[Ellie Faber]], and other homeless people. When Ellie asks her new friend his name, Clyde knows that he will lose her if she were to speak his real name. Taking inspiration from a discarded pizza box, he calls himself “Enrico Box”. Ellie says she has been living rough for two years, after her father died and her mother remarried. She tells Clyde there are perils threatening the homeless; something called “the Night Dragon” causes people to disappear for no reason.

Sky is puzzled to find Sarah in the attic busily throwing away all of Clyde's things. She asks what Clyde has done wrong. Her mother refuses to answer. Later, eating lunch at school, Sky tries asking Rani about Clyde, but her friend just gets angry and storms off. At the museum, lightning crackles around the Hetocumtek totem pole. Called in by Doctor Madigan to help, Sarah scans the artefact and finds it alive with alien energy — and the totem's eyes start to glow. Bustling Doctor Madigan from the room, Sarah urges her to close the exhibition.

Ellie takes Clyde to a "soup kitchen". She introduces him to an old lady nicknamed Mystic Mags. Staring at the tea-leaves in her [[mug]], the elderly lady warns that something bad is coming, something worse than the Night Dragon — and it has put a curse on Clyde. Worried he will get Ellie into trouble, Clyde runs off. Ellie goes after him, not wanting to lose her “lucky charm”. Back at Bannerman Road, Haresh is worried about his daughter. Rani is upset that she has lost something special, but she doesn't know what.

Sky pays a visit to Clyde's mother, who is crying for no discernible reason. When Sky tries asking about Clyde, the woman becomes extremely angry. Seeing Clyde's name glowing on an envelope addressed to him, Sky realises something has cursed her friend's name. Back at the museum, one of the totem pole's carved faces starts to move.

Sheltering from the rain in an old building, Clyde burns his ''Silver Bullet'' artwork to make a fire for himself and Ellie. He asks the girl about the recent "fish storm" — perhaps it was a sign of something bad coming? Ellie tells Clyde that she had lost hope of ever reclaiming her life, but since meeting him her faith has returned.

Back at the museum, more of the carved wooden faces are now coming to life. Hearing Sarah and Rani discussing the totem's increase in power, Sky recalls how Clyde got a splinter in his finger. Sarah and Rani angrily tell Sky not to mention Clyde, but she persists and calls on Mr Smith to explain her theory. Sarah and Rani get angrier whenever Clyde's name is mentioned. Mr Smith tells them this is proof of Sky's theory. The Xylok determines that the totem is using [[psychophonic]] programming to isolate Clyde so that Hetocumtek can use the boy's energy to come back to life. To break the curse, Sky encourages Sarah and Rani to say Clyde's name. Acting against their instincts, the duo repeat Clyde's name — and it works.

Now free of the curse, Sarah and Rani recall how much Clyde means to them. They resolve to get him back. Elsewhere, Clyde shows Ellie a sketch he has made of her. He hopes to make money as a street artist. Flattered, Ellie kisses him and goes to get them both a drink. Just then a familiar car pulls up, and Sarah, Rani and Sky rush out and envelope Clyde in a group hug. Clyde is overjoyed his friends are free of the curse, but when Sarah urges him to come and help beat Hetocumtek, he tells them he needs to wait for Ellie. Sarah is insistent, so Clyde reluctantly leaves, vowing to return for his friend as soon as he can.

Together they speed back to No. 13, where Mr Smith hacks into the transmat system of a passing alien spaceship and uses it to teleport the totem pole into the attic. The artefact is now bristling with energy, its faces contorting in anger at the gang's interference. It fights back by sending a ferocious gale around the room. Refusing to give in, Clyde steps forward and repeats his name again and again — and the totem vanishes.

With his nightmare finally over, Clyde goes home and receives a heart-felt welcome from his mum. Some time later, Clyde, Sarah and Rani go looking for Ellie. They can find no trace of the girl, not in the "cardboard city" under the bridge, nor at the mission; she has vanished.

Clyde is understandably worried, concerned Ellie thinks he abandoned her. However, after noticing a poster about a singer called "Ellie Faber", he realises that he doesn't even know his friend's real name — and then a truck drives past, with the name "[[Night Dragon Haulage]]" emblazoned on its side. Hearing Clyde's surprise, a nearby homeless person explains that the company's drivers often give lifts to people living rough on the streets. Clyde is upset to realise he's never going to see Ellie, again, and is comforted by his friends.