Halloween has always been my favorite holiday. Every year, I transform my yard into a spooky wonderland with cobwebs, gravestones, creepy skeletons, and even a giant inflatable witch that glows at night. Kids love it, and even neighbors stop to compliment my decorations—well, most of them do.
Then there are my neighbors two doors down, Gary and Brenda. Let’s just say they’re not exactly the Halloween-loving type. Over the years, they’ve complained about everything I do. They griped about my Christmas lights being “too bright” and even demanded I move my garden because it “blocked their view.” And this Halloween, they stooped to a new low by dumping their rotting Halloween decorations all over my yard. But this time, I wasn’t about to let it slide.
A Rotten Surprise on My Lawn
A few days after Halloween, work got hectic, so I hadn’t gotten around to taking down my decorations yet. One morning, I stepped outside to grab the newspaper, only to be hit by an awful stench. Right in the middle of my yard lay a heap of decaying pumpkins, wilted cornstalks, and broken skeleton pieces, swarming with flies. The smell was unbearable.
Pinned to one of the pumpkins was a note. Scrawled in smudged ink, it read: “Figured you’d want the rest of the neighborhood’s decorations too. Enjoy cleaning it up, since you love decorating so much!” I knew that handwriting instantly—it was Brenda’s. Anger bubbled inside me as I realized they had decided to make their mess my problem.
Confronting the Culprits
I wasn’t going to clean up their junk without saying something, so I marched straight to their house. Gary opened the door with a smug grin. “Morning,” he said, crossing his arms. “Something you need?”
“Yeah, your trash is all over my lawn,” I replied, barely keeping my cool.
He shrugged. “Well, since you’re the only one with decorations still up, we thought you’d be happy to take care of ours too.”
“Take care of yours?” I repeated, stunned by his audacity.
“Think of it as community service,” he smirked.
I could feel my face flush with frustration, but I knew better than to give them the satisfaction of seeing me lose my temper. I walked away without another word, but inside, I was fuming.
Hatching a Plan
That night, I stewed over their latest stunt. After years of putting up with their complaints and entitled behavior, I decided enough was enough. As I lay in bed, an idea started forming—a way to return the favor in a way they’d never forget.
Halloween decorations | Source: Pexels
The next evening, after work, I gathered every last piece of their disgusting pile of rotting pumpkins, dead cornstalks, and broken decorations. The smell was horrendous, but I powered through, fueled by a sense of justice. I loaded everything into a wheelbarrow and wheeled it over to their yard, checking to make sure no one was around.
With careful precision, I arranged the rotting pumpkins along their front path, lined their steps with dead cornstalks, and posed the broken skeletons as “guards” around their house. I even left a little note on their doorstep: “Thought I’d help with your cleanup, since you love community service so much. Happy belated Halloween!”
The Fallout Begins
Three days later, while sipping my morning coffee, my phone rang. It was Brenda. I hesitated before answering, curiosity getting the better of me.
“What did you DO?” she shrieked before I could even say hello. “We’re losing our house because of you!”
I blinked, surprised by her panicked tone. “Excuse me?”
She practically yelled, “Ever since you dumped that… that filth on our lawn, it’s been a nightmare! Rats got into the house! They chewed through wiring, and now we’re looking at thousands in repairs. And the HOA is threatening to fine us for health violations!”
Suppressing a smirk, I replied, “Oh, the HOA finally noticed the mess?”
A squished pumpkin | Source: Pexels
She was desperate now. “You need to fix this! They’re threatening to evict us if we don’t pay the fines, and it’s all because of you!”
Feigning innocence, I responded, “Brenda, I just returned your decorations. My security cameras actually caught you and Gary dumping it all in my yard first.”
There was a long pause. Finally, she sputtered, “That’s irrelevant! You… you set us up!”
“Set you up?” I let out a laugh. “Maybe you should think twice before trying to make your mess someone else’s problem.”
A Little Justice Served
The HOA had apparently been on Gary and Brenda’s case for months over their unkempt lawn, broken fence, and constant complaints from other neighbors. My “return favor” was the last straw for them. With the video footage I provided, the HOA dismissed all accusations against me and fined Gary and Brenda instead. They were slapped with additional penalties for pest control and property neglect. Facing a mountain of fines they couldn’t pay, they had no choice but to sell their home.
On the day they moved out, I watched from my window as they packed their belongings into a battered U-Haul. Brenda looked defeated, and Gary’s smug expression was nowhere to be seen. I almost felt a pang of guilt as they drove off. Almost.
A woman with a wheelbarrow | Source: Pexels
Halloween’s Revenge: A Lesson in Karma
As they left, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction. For years, they had tried to make my life harder, but their final stunt backfired spectacularly. They thought they could dump their problems on me and walk away without consequences, but in the end, they were the ones left cleaning up the mess.
And Halloween? Next year, I think I’ll go even bigger—maybe add a few more skeletons or a haunted graveyard theme. After all, I wouldn’t want the neighborhood to forget who the real Halloween enthusiast is.
Sometimes, karma has a way of catching up to people, and this Halloween, it just so happened to wear a skeleton mask and wield a plastic pitchfork.
