The Shadow People (audio story)

The Shadow People was the fifth Sarah Jane Adventures audiobook released. It was written by Scott Handcock, produced for BBC Audio and read by Elisabeth Sladen. It accompanied the CBBC broadcast of series 3.

Publisher's summary
A camping trip spells trouble for Sarah Jane and friends, in this exclusive audio adventure read by Elisabeth Sladen.

When both the school bus and Sarah Jane’s car break down in Snowdonia, the gang find themselves stranded in the middle of nowhere.

Exploring by a lake, Rani sees a shadowy figure that looks exactly like her. Then Sarah Jane hears a voice asking for help, and sees a mysterious figure outside her tent. Who is watching them, and why? How can Rani be in two places at once? And what secret does a nearby cave hold?

Plot
Sarah Jane's Saturday off is interrupted when Luke and Clyde come to her door, wanting a ride to school, having missed the bus after an encounter with an alien disguised as a cat. That day the school was having a field trip to Wales, and Sarah knows that it was important to Luke. They use a cell phone tracking device to track Rani's cell phone.

After a long drive, they discover the bus broken down on the side of the road. Not long after, their car breaks down as well. Neither the car nor the bus will even begin to start.

The four of them, Sarah Jane, Luke, Clyde and Rani, go looking around. They walk up to a pond, noting how beautiful it is. Rani, however, seems nervous, looking over her shoulder, as if she is looking for someone.

Rani, as it turns out, is nervous due to a strange thing that happened to her earlier that day. While she was by the pond, she began to hear voices calling out to her, but when she would look around no one would be there. Then, out of the corner of here eye she saw the reflection of someone crouching over her in the pond. Upon closer inspection, she found the figure was another her, crouching over her reflection with bloodshot eyes. The apparition soon passed, yet she still felt like she was being watched. Sarah Jane agrees, secretly also feeling it.

Soon nightfall comes, and they are put into pairs to pitch tents to sleep in. Sarah Jane, Luke and Clyde work together, and Rani helps her father.

Characters

 * Sarah Jane Smith
 * Luke Smith
 * Clyde Langer
 * Rani Chandra
 * Haresh Chandra
 * Professor Jacqueline Lauton
 * Dr. Riley
 * Mr. Bradbury

Continuity

 * When telling her ghost story, Sarah Jane recounts some of the events of AUDIO: Ghost Town.
 * Carla's advanced sat-nav makes an appearance again. (TV: The Mark of the Berserker)
 * Clyde refers to how his mum describes him as a "demon in the kitchen". (TV: The Mark of the Berserker)
 * Rani mentions the Doctor, having met him in TV: The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith.