When my neighbors dropped their rotting Halloween leftovers on my lawn, they expected me to clean up the mess. But after years of their petty shenanigans, I decided it was time for some vengeance that would reveal far more than they had expected for.
I’ve always like Halloween. Every year, I go all out to decorate the yard with cobwebs, ghosts hanging from trees, large plastic spiders crawling up the porch, and gravestones in the flowerbeds. It’s creepy, and the neighborhood kids enjoy it.
This year, I went bigger than before. I built a scary maze in the front yard and erected a massive inflatable witch that lit at night. I received several congratulations, even from passers-by. However, not everyone was a fan.
Gary and Brenda, my neighbors two doors down, have never liked anything I’ve done, even Halloween.Last year, they complained that my Christmas lights were “too bright.”
So, Halloween came and went, and I intended to clear everything up, but work got stressful, and the decorations were up a little longer than normal.
One morning, I opened the door to grab my paper, and the smell hit me. It was foul, like something had di:ed right there on my lawn. I glanced around, and my stomach turned.
I knew that handwriting: my neighbor Brenda. My blood boiled.
Marching over to their house, I didn’t notice the fresh fall air or the crunch of leaves beneath my feet. My head was jumbled with fury and disbelief. I knocked, and Gary quickly opened the door, a smug smirk on his face.
“Morning,” he replied, crossing his arms. “Something you need?”
I took a deep breath and tried to hold my voice steady. “Is there a reason your junk is all over my lawn?” I inquired, giving him a sharp look.
He shrugged, barely concealing his smirk. “Well, since you’re the final one with Halloween decorations out, we figured you wouldn’t mind picking up ours as well. I figured you’d want it all together, because you’re the ‘Halloween Queen’ around here.
I covered my face, stunned by the audacity. “So you just… dumped it all on my yard?”
Gary leaned against the doorframe, unfazed. “Look, the whole block’s tired of your spooky junk lingering around. We’re just doing you a favor. Brenda said you’d appreciate it.”
“A favor?” I repeated, my voice thick with disbelief.
He grinned wider. “Think of it as community service.”
That night, I stewed about Gary and Brenda’s little “favor.” In my brain, I repeated Gary’s arrogant sneer and how he nonchalantly dubbed my decorations “spooky junk”. I tossed and turned for hours, my mind racing with possibilities.
Finally, just before dawn, a plan clicked into place. If they wanted to share their Halloween mess, I’d be more than happy to “return” the favor.
I pushed everything over to Gary and Brenda’s house, making sure nobody was there. They weren’t home yet, so their lights were turned off. Perfect.
I even placed cornstalks around their front stairs to create an eerie swamp effect. Every time I took a step back to review my work, a wicked grin grew across my face. It was petty, true, but there was an odd joy in returning their “gift.”
Finally, I placed my own note on their doorway. “I thought I’d help with your cleanup because you enjoy community service so much. “Happy belated Halloween.” I signed it with a large, loopy heart to add some flair. My work was finished.
“What did you DO?” Brenda’s voice screeched through the speaker, so loud I had to pull the phone away from my ear. “We’re losing our house because of you!”
“Excuse me?” I said, keeping my tone as calm as possible.
“You’ve ruined everything! We’re being fined thousands of dollars, and it’s all your fault!” Her voice was panicked, almost hysterical.
I lifted an eyebrow, my thoughts racing. “Brenda, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, don’t act innocent!” she exclaimed. “It has been a nightmare ever since you dumped that filth on our lawn!” Rats entered the house! They chewed through the wiring, and we now face costly repairs. And that was the final straw for the HOA!”
I sat back in my chair, savoring the irony. “So… you’re saying the HOA finally got fed up with your ‘spooky junk’?”
“Don’t play games!” she snapped back. “The HOA has threatened to evict us if we don’t pay up. They stated this was the final warning. And it’s all because of the mess you made on our yard!”
“Oh, that mess?” I replied, trying to keep a straight face. “Funny, because my security cameras show you and Gary dumping those decorations on my lawn first.”
After a brief silence, she blurted out, “W-we…that’s irrelevant!” You are the one who trespassed. “You set us up.”
I took a deep breath and felt a tinge of sympathy for the first time.
“Maybe next time, you should think twice before trying to make your mess someone else’s problem,” I added, my voice steady. “Good luck, Brenda.”
It turned out that the HOA had been receiving complaints about them for several months. They had disregarded several complaints regarding their overgrown lawn, broken fence, and peeling paint. Worse, neighbors had noticed vermin and a terrible odor on their property well before Halloween. The rat problem was only the most recent and serious concern on a lengthy list.
On their final day, I observed from my window as they loaded things into a small, battered U-Haul. They appeared weary and beaten down. Gary’s shoulders dropped as he packed the final box, and Brenda sat on the sidewalk, looking as if she hadn’t slept in days.
But then I remembered their smug expressions, how they assumed they could simply dump their troubles on me and walk away. Finally, they received exactly what they deserved.
