Charley Cassidy didn't believe in aliens. Little green men from up in the sky? No chance. She liked the life she lead. Quiet, uneventful, complete bliss. As long as Charley could pay her own way, she was satisfied. Thirty-eight with no offspring or Mr Perfect. They'd only hinder her trim figure, and likely cause the lovely locks of red hair on her head to fall out.

Last shift of the week almost at an end, then she and Terry could shut up shop.

'Fancy a bit of overtime, Charlotte?'

Charley placed the last of the oranges on their platter, and headed for the till.

'Sure, I could do with the spare dosh,' she smiled.

Terry exchanged the smile and exited into the back room. She proceeded to open it, and began counting.

Ah, the ever familiar way home. Sometimes quiet, sometimes raving mad.

Oh.

She didn't have anything in for tonight. Could just have some soup, maybe. This evening, the way home was quiet. Marvellous. Unless, that nosy git from number twenty-six unleashed his little terrors. Charley continued along for another while and-

An unopened loaf, lay at the beginning of a gravelly path and grass. She proceeded to lift it, but spotted a cabbage a little further along. Eh?

Gradually, Charley followed a trail of what must've been...someone's shopping? Near a small stream, too. An apple, a pint of milk, and sliced ham, among other things.

Footsteps. Someone else was here. Perhaps they'd come to reclaim their shopping?

Charley approached a nearby rock, as something seemed to be protruding from it.

An animal? Someone having a nap, on the off-chance?

Oh.

A green and grey...creature...lay sprawled out. A creature. A dead creature. Covered in black liquid - ink? Blood? An...alien?

'Who are you?'

Charley turned.

A slim woman of about sixty, with shoulder length brown hair, in a waistcoat, jeans, and boots stood before her.

She had one arm raised, from which beeping could be heard.

'Well?'

'Charley Ca - wait, never mind about me, who are you? And what are you doing here?'

Her tone was as panicked as she was, looking at the woman.

The woman lowered her arm, and sighed, glancing between Charley and the corpse.

'I suppose you've seen too much, haven't you?'

'I just found it, I had nothing to do with it,' Charley replied adamantly, but still panicked. 'I thought someone had abandoned their shopping.'

The woman turned and looked, as Charley pointed to the trail of items.

The woman sighed again.

'I would normally tell someone to go home, not to worry about it,' she began. 'But you're not going to be able to forget this, are you?'

Charley stared at the woman.

'I think I better go home.'

She stumbled down the path past the woman, and hurried away.

'Charley!'

But Charley ignored it.

What the hell had just happened?

An...alien corpse? That woman. Who was she? She knew something about the corpse, she must have.

Charley stopped.

Shock? Panic? Horror? All three, it seemed. Charley headed back towards that path. Did she seem irrational?

The woman was standing there.

Charley approached her.

'Sorry. Bit stupid of me, wasn't it?'

The woman looked at her, with what seemed like reassurance.

'You had every right to run, Charley. You're in a bit of shock.'

'That was alien, yes?'

'Yes.'

Charley glanced between the path and the woman.

'I don't think I caught your name.'

'Sarah Jane - Sarah Jane Smith.'

'Charley Cassidy,' she said. 'What were you doing up there, then?'