\nWhen my neighbors dumped their rotting Halloween leftovers on my lawn, they assumed I\u2019d clean up their mess. But after years of dealing with their little tricks, I decided it was time for a bit of payback, one that would reveal more than they expected.\n
Halloween has always been one of my favorite times of the year. Every October, I decorate the yard with cobwebs, hanging ghosts, big plastic spiders climbing up the porch, and gravestones scattered across the flowerbeds. It\u2019s spooky and fun, and the neighborhood kids love it.\n
This year, I went bigger with my Halloween decorations. I built a haunted maze in my front yard and added a giant, glowing witch that lit up at night. Lots of people complimented the setup, even passersby. But, of course, not everyone was happy about it.\n
\n
Gary and Brenda, my neighbors a couple of doors down, have never liked anything I do\u2014whether it\u2019s for Halloween or anything else. \u201cEntitled\u201d barely describes them. They seem to think the whole neighborhood exists just to make their lives easier.\n
Last year, they complained that my Christmas lights were \u201ctoo bright.\u201d The year before, Brenda insisted I move my garden because it \u201cblocked her view.\u201d And don\u2019t even ask about their complaints about my dog barking.\n
After Halloween, I intended to clean up everything. But work got busy, and the decorations stayed up a bit longer than usual.\n
One morning, when I went outside to get my newspaper, a foul smell hit me. It was awful, like something had died in my yard. Looking around, I saw a pile of rotting pumpkins, dead cornstalks, and broken skeleton pieces right in the middle of my lawn. Flies were buzzing, and the smell was horrible. A note was attached to one of the pumpkins.\n
The note, smudged and hard to read, said, \u201cFigured you\u2019d want the rest of the neighborhood\u2019s decorations too. Enjoy cleaning it up, since you love decorating so much!\u201d\n
I recognized Brenda\u2019s handwriting immediately. My anger boiled.\n
\n
I clenched my fists. Of course, only she would do something like this. I stormed back inside, tossed the newspaper down, and grabbed my coat. I wasn\u2019t going to let this go.\n
I walked over to their house, barely noticing the crunch of leaves under my feet. My head was full of anger and disbelief. When I knocked, Gary answered, a smug smile on his face.\n
\u201cMorning,\u201d he said with his arms crossed. \u201cNeed something?\u201d\n
I took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. \u201cIs there a reason your garbage is on my lawn?\u201d I asked him directly.\n
He shrugged, smirking. \u201cSince you\u2019re the last one with Halloween stuff up, we thought you wouldn\u2019t mind picking up ours too. Figured you\u2019d like it all together since you\u2019re the \u2018Halloween Queen\u2019 around here.\u201d\n
I was stunned. \u201cSo you just\u2026 dumped it all on my yard?\u201d\n
Gary leaned against the doorframe, not caring. \u201cLook, everyone\u2019s tired of your spooky junk hanging around. We were just doing you a favor. Brenda thought you\u2019d appreciate it.\u201d\n
\u201cA favor?\u201d I repeated, not believing what I was hearing.\n
His smirk widened. \u201cThink of it as community service.\u201d\n
My head spun from his attitude. Part of me wanted to clean up the mess and move on. But another part of me couldn\u2019t let them get away with it. I looked back at my yard, at the disgusting mess, and felt my anger rising.\n
\n
Gary waved, \u201cAnything else, or are we done here?\u201d\n
I bit my tongue, holding back everything I wanted to say.\n
That night, I couldn\u2019t stop thinking about Gary and Brenda\u2019s \u201cfavor.\u201d His smirk, calling my decorations \u201cspooky junk,\u201d replayed in my head. I was up for hours, thinking about what I could do.\n
Finally, just before dawn, a plan came to me. If they wanted to share their Halloween trash, I\u2019d be happy to \u201creturn\u201d the favor.\n
The next evening after work, I gathered all the rotting pumpkins, dead cornstalks, and broken skeletons from my yard, trying not to gag as I piled them into my wheelbarrow. The smell was awful, but my anger kept me going.\n
I rolled everything over to Gary and Brenda\u2019s house, checking to make sure no one was around. Their lights were off, so they weren\u2019t home. Perfect.\n
I carefully arranged the rotting decorations all over their front yard, lining the path with squashed pumpkins. I set up skeletons in creepy poses\u2014one \u201cguarding\u201d their mailbox, another \u201cclimbing\u201d their porch railing.\n
I even wrapped cornstalks around their steps, making it look like a creepy swamp. Each time I stepped back to look, I couldn\u2019t help but grin. It was petty, but there was some satisfaction in returning their \u201cgift.\u201d\n
For the final touch, I left a note on their door. \u201cThought I\u2019d help with your cleanup, since you love community service so much. Happy belated Halloween!\u201d I signed it with a big heart for style. My job was done.\n
Three days later, I was drinking my morning coffee when my phone rang. I saw it was Brenda. I almost didn\u2019t answer, but I was too curious. I took a slow sip and picked up.\n
\u201cWhat did you DO?\u201d Brenda\u2019s voice screeched through the phone, so loud I had to hold it away from my ear. \u201cWe\u2019re losing our house because of you!\u201d\n
\u201cExcuse me?\u201d I replied, trying to keep calm.\n
\n
\u201cYou ruined everything! We\u2019re being fined thousands of dollars, and it\u2019s all your fault!\u201d Her voice was panicked, almost hysterical.\n
I raised an eyebrow, thinking fast. \u201cBrenda, I don\u2019t know what you\u2019re talking about.\u201d\n
\u201cOh, don\u2019t act innocent!\u201d she snapped. \u201cSince you dumped that\u2026 that garbage on our lawn, it\u2019s been a nightmare! Rats got into the house, chewed through wiring, and now we\u2019re facing repairs we can\u2019t afford. And the HOA gave us a final warning!\u201d\n
I leaned back, enjoying the irony. \u201cSo\u2026 the HOA finally got tired of your \u2018spooky junk\u2019?\u201d\n
\u201cStop playing games!\u201d she yelled. \u201cThe HOA is threatening to kick us out if we don\u2019t pay up. And it\u2019s all because of that mess you left!\u201d\n
\u201cOh, that mess?\u201d I replied, trying not to laugh. \u201cFunny, because my security cameras show you and Gary putting that trash on my lawn first.\u201d\n
She went silent for a second, then sputtered, \u201cW-we\u2026 that\u2019s beside the point! You set us up!\u201d\n
\u201cSet you up?\u201d I chuckled. \u201cBrenda, you trespassed on my property. I just gave back your stuff.\u201d\n
\u201cYou have to tell the HOA it was all a misunderstanding!\u201d she pleaded, her voice desperate. \u201cYou can\u2019t let them do this to us!\u201d\n
I took a deep breath, feeling a bit sorry for her. But then I remembered their years of complaints and the last straw of dumping trash on my lawn. I sighed, giving her one last bit of advice.\n
\u201cMaybe next time, think twice before making your mess someone else\u2019s problem,\u201d I said firmly. \u201cGood luck, Brenda.\u201d\n
The HOA had apparently been dealing with complaints about them for months. They\u2019d ignored warnings about their messy yard, broken fence, and peeling paint. Neighbors had reported pests and smells around their home long before Halloween. The rat problem was just the final straw.\n
The consequences came quickly. With the security footage, the HOA dismissed every claim they made against me. Gary and Brenda were hit with fines for neglecting their property, health violations, and the rat infestation. Without money to cover the fines, they had to sell their home.\n
On their last day, I watched from my window as they packed up their belongings into an old U-Haul. They looked tired and defeated. Gary loaded the last box, while Brenda sat on the curb, looking like she hadn\u2019t slept.\n
As they drove away, I felt a bit of guilt. But then I remembered their smug faces and how they thought they could dump their problems on me. In the end, they got exactly what they deserved.\n
And next Halloween? I think I\u2019ll make it even bigger.\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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