When my neighbors dumped their rotting Halloween leftovers on my lawn, they assumed I’d 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.

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’s spooky and fun, and the neighborhood kids love it.

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.

Gary and Brenda, my neighbors a couple of doors down, have never liked anything I do—whether it’s for Halloween or anything else. “Entitled” barely describes them. They seem to think the whole neighborhood exists just to make their lives easier.

Last year, they complained that my Christmas lights were “too bright.” The year before, Brenda insisted I move my garden because it “blocked her view.” And don’t even ask about their complaints about my dog barking.

After Halloween, I intended to clean up everything. But work got busy, and the decorations stayed up a bit longer than usual.

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.

The note, smudged and hard to read, said, “Figured you’d want the rest of the neighborhood’s decorations too. Enjoy cleaning it up, since you love decorating so much!”

I recognized Brenda’s handwriting immediately. My anger boiled.

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’t going to let this go.

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.

“Morning,” he said with his arms crossed. “Need something?”

I took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. “Is there a reason your garbage is on my lawn?” I asked him directly.

He shrugged, smirking. “Since you’re the last one with Halloween stuff up, we thought you wouldn’t mind picking up ours too. Figured you’d like it all together since you’re the ‘Halloween Queen’ around here.”

I was stunned. “So you just… dumped it all on my yard?”

Gary leaned against the doorframe, not caring. “Look, everyone’s tired of your spooky junk hanging around. We were just doing you a favor. Brenda thought you’d appreciate it.”

“A favor?” I repeated, not believing what I was hearing.

His smirk widened. “Think of it as community service.”

My head spun from his attitude. Part of me wanted to clean up the mess and move on. But another part of me couldn’t let them get away with it. I looked back at my yard, at the disgusting mess, and felt my anger rising.

Gary waved, “Anything else, or are we done here?”

I bit my tongue, holding back everything I wanted to say.

That night, I couldn’t stop thinking about Gary and Brenda’s “favor.” His smirk, calling my decorations “spooky junk,” replayed in my head. I was up for hours, thinking about what I could do.

Finally, just before dawn, a plan came to me. If they wanted to share their Halloween trash, I’d be happy to “return” the favor.

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.

I rolled everything over to Gary and Brenda’s house, checking to make sure no one was around. Their lights were off, so they weren’t home. Perfect.

I carefully arranged the rotting decorations all over their front yard, lining the path with squashed pumpkins. I set up skeletons in creepy poses—one “guarding” their mailbox, another “climbing” their porch railing.

I even wrapped cornstalks around their steps, making it look like a creepy swamp. Each time I stepped back to look, I couldn’t help but grin. It was petty, but there was some satisfaction in returning their “gift.”

For the final touch, I left a note on their door. “Thought I’d help with your cleanup, since you love community service so much. Happy belated Halloween!” I signed it with a big heart for style. My job was done.

Three days later, I was drinking my morning coffee when my phone rang. I saw it was Brenda. I almost didn’t answer, but I was too curious. I took a slow sip and picked up.

“What did you DO?” Brenda’s voice screeched through the phone, so loud I had to hold it away from my ear. “We’re losing our house because of you!”

“Excuse me?” I replied, trying to keep calm.

“You ruined everything! We’re being fined thousands of dollars, and it’s all your fault!” Her voice was panicked, almost hysterical.

I raised an eyebrow, thinking fast. “Brenda, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, don’t act innocent!” she snapped. “Since you dumped that… that garbage on our lawn, it’s been a nightmare! Rats got into the house, chewed through wiring, and now we’re facing repairs we can’t afford. And the HOA gave us a final warning!”

I leaned back, enjoying the irony. “So… the HOA finally got tired of your ‘spooky junk’?”

“Stop playing games!” she yelled. “The HOA is threatening to kick us out if we don’t pay up. And it’s all because of that mess you left!”

“Oh, that mess?” I replied, trying not to laugh. “Funny, because my security cameras show you and Gary putting that trash on my lawn first.”

She went silent for a second, then sputtered, “W-we… that’s beside the point! You set us up!”

“Set you up?” I chuckled. “Brenda, you trespassed on my property. I just gave back your stuff.”

“You have to tell the HOA it was all a misunderstanding!” she pleaded, her voice desperate. “You can’t let them do this to us!”

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.

“Maybe next time, think twice before making your mess someone else’s problem,” I said firmly. “Good luck, Brenda.”

The HOA had apparently been dealing with complaints about them for months. They’d 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.

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.

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’t slept.

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.

And next Halloween? I think I’ll make it even bigger.