It was anticipated by my neighbors that I would clean up their mess when they dropped their rotting Halloween leftovers on my grass. Nevertheless, after years of having to deal with their petty tricks, I came to the conclusion that it was time for a little payback, one that would disclose more than they had anticipated.
One of my favorite times of the year has always been Halloween. I have always enjoyed it. Cobwebs, hanging ghosts, large plastic spiders creeping up the porch, and gravestones sprinkled across the flowerbeds are some of the things that I choose to use to adorn the yard during the month of October. Children in the neighborhood enjoy it because it is both eerie and fun.
This year, I decided to give my Halloween decorations a more elaborate look. I added a large luminous witch that lit up at night to the scary maze that I constructed in my front yard. You can see it here. People from all walks of life, including pedestrians, praised the arrangement. The fact remains, however, that not everyone was pleased with it.
I have never been able to get Gary and Brenda, who live a couple of doors down from me, to approve of whatever I do, regardless of whether it is for Halloween or something else. The word “entitled” would be an understatement. They appear to believe that the entire community was created only for the purpose of making their lives simpler.
A year ago, they voiced their displeasure with the fact that my Christmas lights were “too bright.” The previous year, Brenda insisted that I relocate my garden since it obscured her view of the surrounding area. I won’t even bother to inquire about their complaints over the barking of my dog.
Following Halloween, I had every intention of cleaning up everything. The decorations were up for a longer period of time than normal, but work became quite busy.
When I stepped outside to collect my newspaper one morning, I was startled by the pungent odor that I encountered. The smell was terrible, like if something had passed away in my yard. If I were to look around, I would notice that there was a heap of rotting pumpkins, dead cornstalks, and parts of broken skeletons smack in the midst of my lawn. A terrible odor was present, and there were flies swarming around. There was a note that was affixed to one of the pumpkins.
“Figured you’d want the rest of the neighborhood’s decorations too,” the message read, despite the fact that it was blurred together and difficult to see. Considering how much you enjoy decorating, I hope you have fun cleaning it up!
Almost quickly, I was able to identify Brenda’s handwriting. I felt my rage rising.
My fists were clamped shut. Undoubtedly, she is the only one who would act in such a manner. I hurriedly made my way back inside, threw the newspaper to the ground, and grabbed my coat. I wasn’t going to turn a blind eye to this.
I made my way over to their residence, barely registering the sound of leaves crunching under my feet as I did so. My mind was filled with shock and anger at the same time. Gary answered the door with a smug expression on his face when I knocked on the door.
“Morning,” he murmured while crossing his arms across his chest. “Looking for something?”
In an effort to maintain my composure, I took a deep breath. What might possibly be the reason that your waste is on my lawn? I inquired of him right away.
He gave a shrug while smirking. We thought it would be a good idea for you to pick up our Halloween decorations as well, given that you are the last one there with them. Since you are the “Halloween Queen” around town, I figured you might be interested in having everything in one place.
I was completely taken aback. What do you mean, you just spilled everything on my yard?
Without showing any concern, Gary rested against the doorframe. “Look, everyone is sick of your creepy trash hanging about. Everyone is tired of it. We were merely trying to be helpful to you. Brenda had the impression that you would value it.
Is it a favor? Despite my inability to believe what I was hearing, I repeated.
The grin on his face became wider. Consider this to be a form of community service.
Due to his attitude, my head was spinning. A portion of me desired to tidy up the mess and move on with my life. Nevertheless, there was a part of me that couldn’t allow them to get away with it. My indignation was mounting as I turned around and stared at the horrible mess that had been left in my yard.
“Anything else, or are we done here?” Gary waved his hand and asked.
I was unable to express everything that I wanted to say because I bit my tongue.
During that particular evening, I was unable to stop thinking about Gary and Brenda’s “favor.” In my brain, I kept thinking about his sneer as he referred to my decorations as “spooky junk.” The thought of what I could do kept me awake for a number of hours.
It was just before daybreak when I finally had an idea for a plan. “Returning” the favor would be something I would be pleased to do if they wanted to share their Halloween trash with me.
In the evening of the following day, after I had finished my labor for the day, I gathered all of the rotting pumpkins, dead cornstalks, and broken skeletons from my yard and loaded them onto my wheelbarrow while attempting not to gag. My rage kept me going despite the fact that the scent was terrible.
In order to ensure that there was no one present, I brought everything over to Gary and Brenda’s house and checked its security. Not only were their lights off, but they were also not at home. Just right.
I took great care in arranging the rotting decorations across their front yard, and I lined the path with pumpkins that had been squished completely. One of the skeletons was “guarding” their mailbox, and another was “climbing” their porch railing. I set up the skeletons in different frightening stances.
I went so far as to even wrap cornstalks around their steps, giving the impression that it was a spooky marsh. I couldn’t help but smile every time I took a step back to take a look at something. Although it was petty, there was a certain degree of satisfaction in being able to return their “gift.”
To put the finishing touch on everything, I posted a message on their door. “Given how much you like volunteering in the community, I thought it would be a good idea to assist you with your cleanup. All the best for a late Halloween! It was autographed by me with a strong passion for fashion. Finished with my work.
After a period of three days, I was enjoying my morning coffee when I received a call on my phone. The person I saw was Brenda. My curiosity got the better of me, and I almost didn’t answer. After taking a slow sip, I ramped up the pace.
What actions did you take? Through the phone, Brenda’s voice shrieked so loudly that I had to keep it away from my ear in order to avoid damage. We are going to lose our home as a direct result of you!
Please excuse me. I responded while making an effort to maintain my composure.
What a disaster you have caused! Every single one of you is to blame for the thousands of dollars that we are being penalized! Her tone was frantic, even maniacal in its intensity.
Suddenly, I thought quickly and raised an eyebrow. “Brenda, I have no idea what you are talking about,” she continued.
She yelled out in a huff, “Oh, don’t fool yourself!” The situation has been a living nightmare ever since you put that… that garbage on our lawn! Rats broke into the house and chewed through the wiring, and now we are going to have to pay for repairs that go beyond our budget. In addition, the HOA issued a last warning to us!
While I was enjoying the irony, I leaned back. “So… the homeowners association has finally grown weary of your’spooky junk’?”
Suddenly, she screamed out, “Stop playing games!” “The Homeowners Association is threatening to evict us if we do not pay our rent. That mess that you left behind is the cause of everything!
“What is that muddle?” I responded while making an effort to suppress my laughter. According to the footage captured by my surveillance cameras, you and Gary were the ones who placed the rubbish on my lawn first.
She continued to remain silent for a brief moment before sputtering, “W-we… that’s beside the point! What a sham you are!
“Have you been set up?” I let out a chuckle. It is my property that you have trespassed upon, Brenda. It’s merely that I returned your belongings.
Her voice was filled with desperation as she pleaded with you, “You have to tell the HOA that it was all a misunderstanding!” You can’t allow them to treat us in such a manner!
With a sense of compassion for her, I inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. I then recalled their years of complaints, the most recent of which was the act of throwing trash on my yard, which was the final straw. I heaved a sigh as I offered her one final piece of guidance.
I told her in a strong voice, “Perhaps the next time, do some serious soul-searching before making your mess someone else’s problem.” Best of luck to you, Brenda.
It appeared that the HOA had been dealing with concerns directed toward them for a number of months. Their yard was a disaster, their fence was broken, and the paint was flaking, yet they chose to disregard the warnings. Long before Halloween, neighbors had reported that there were smells and vermin in the area around their house. The last straw was the rat problem that had been going on.
The repercussions happened very rapidly. With the use of the surveillance film, the HOA refuted every accusation that they had made against me. In addition to the rat infestation, Gary and Brenda were issued fines for neglecting their property, violating health regulations, and causing the infestation. Their home had to be sold since they did not have enough money to pay the fees.
On the day that they were leaving, I stood at my window and watched as they loaded their stuff into an old U-Haul pickup truck. They appeared worn out and discouraged. While Gary was loading the final box, Brenda was sitting on the sidewalk, giving the impression that she had not slept at all.
I couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret as they drove away. On the other hand, I recalled their arrogant expressions and how they believed they could place all of their troubles on my shoulders. At the end of the day, they were given precisely what they deserved.
When is the next Halloween? I believe I will make it even more substantial.