Armed agents secured the area. The recovery team searched the abandoned store on the old road up the mountain range both inside and out.
Someone noticed the large, white graffiti-painted letters PHERE above the entrance, threw out the P, and asked for a ladder. What they were looking for was spread thinly beneath the paint. They carefully replaced the items with fakes.
I’d like to say these were the good guys, but if they were, why were they up there? Anyway I doubt they realized that they weren’t the first to find the stuff I hid there.
Rochelle Wisoff-Fields offers the photo below taken by Carole Erdman-Grant as this week’s Friday Fictioneers prompt.

A trap baited. But to catch what?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Fred did trap Barry and imagine he hopes to catch those chickens. Thank you, Neil!
LikeLike
Leaves a lot of intriguing questions. Nicely done.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Iain!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ah yes, why were the up there?
Shalom.
LikeLiked by 1 person
They likely had no good reason to be there. Thank you, Michael!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I like how they stole the P and left here. I saw the PH as a ruse for fear. Nice Frank. Fiction is extremely difficult for me. I can’t get out of my own way.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I do think the “phere” may have meant “fear”. If I had to write more than a few sentences, I don’t think I could keep a story going for long. Thank you, Mary!
LikeLike
Very clever, thinking of giving this a whirl! What a prompt!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have just started writing for this prompt. It is challenging, but I find it enjoyable provided I can come up with a story line. Thank you, Myrna!
LikeLike
Well done Frank.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Dan!
LikeLiked by 1 person
i wonder what he was hiding there to get armed agents involved. hope it was worth all the trouble. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
There may have been nothing just more deception. Thank you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I wonder who the watcher is who set that trap. Intriguing and mysterious.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Me, too! Maybe there will be future episode. Thank you!
LikeLike
A well done wonder-prompting piece, Frank.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Bill!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well done, Frank!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Eugenia!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Most welcome, Frank!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Frank,
You left me wondering what he’d hidden. It doesn’t sound like something the unsuspecting scavenger wants to find. Nicely handled.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
I wish I knew myself. It wasn’t until I noticed the PHERE in the graffiti that an idea for a story appeared. Thank you, Rochelle!
LikeLike
This has nothing to do with Waco? Asking since the anniversary just passed
LikeLiked by 1 person
No, I was just trying to come up with something to fit the photo in the prompt. I didn’t realize that the anniversary to that event had recently passed.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ah gotcha coincidental, I was thinking too much into it lol
LikeLiked by 1 person
What an intriguing tale, you’ve made perfect use of the prompt Frank.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Keith!
LikeLike
Nice twist at the end. I wonder what was hidden there. Intriguing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I don’t know, but I was wondering if I might continue this somehow. Thank you, Margaret!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Finding the past may not lead to the future.
I wonder what else they find hidden beneath layers of disguise
LikeLiked by 1 person
Perhaps even more disguise. Thank you, Laurie!
LikeLike
Answering your comment on my post (just to give your blog another comment!): I think that is definitely some kind of evil spirit behind it, be it “Jezebel” or something like it with the situation!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It does seem like an evil spirit of some sort.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes sir
LikeLiked by 1 person