The Halloween decorations were finally down

The Halloween decorations were finally down, and the neighborhood had shifted into the quiet lull of early November. But the morning after Halloween, as I stepped out to head to work, a foul stench hit me like a slap to the face. Rounding the corner of my porch, I found what looked like the aftermath of a horror movie. Garbage bags, decaying pumpkins, ripped corn stalks, and broken skeletons were scattered across my lawn, looking like someone had dumped a Halloween graveyard onto my property.

At first, I thought it was some kind of prank—maybe kids who hadn’t gotten enough candy decided to get creative with the neighborhood decor. But then I spotted a note taped to one of the rotting pumpkins. The handwriting was familiar, making my stomach twist.

“Figured you’d want the rest of the neighborhood’s decorations, too. Enjoy cleaning it up, since you love decorating so much.”

I clenched my teeth, barely able to read the note through the red haze of my anger. It was Brenda, my neighbor across the street, who always had a problem with… well, just about everything. And judging by the smirk I’d seen her husband Gary throw my way the day before, he was in on it, too. They had never liked the way I decorated for the holidays. But this? This was a low blow.

I stomped over to their house, fists clenched. As soon as I reached their door, it swung open, and there was Gary, standing in the doorway, arms crossed with that infuriating smirk. His smug look made me want to scream.

“Any reason why your junk is all over my yard?” I demanded, struggling to keep my voice even.

Gary shrugged. “Well, you’re the last one to take down your decorations. Figured you wouldn’t mind handling ours, too. Think of it as a little ‘favor’ for the neighborhood.”

It took everything in me not to yell. I fumed as I turned away, heading back to my house to get ready for the day ahead, but the anger stayed with me like a storm cloud, hanging over my head the entire day. I dreaded going home and spending hours cleaning up the mess, but I refused to let them get the best of me.

That weekend, I got to work. Not only did I clear every single piece of trash they’d dumped, but I also went all out—planting fresh flowers, adding new lights, and tidying up my yard until it was pristine. If they wanted to play dirty, I’d make my yard look so good they’d have to eat their words.

Days later, I was just starting to feel proud of the work I’d done when my phone rang. Brenda was on the other end, but instead of the smug tone I expected, she was in a full-blown panic.

“WHAT DID YOU DO?” she shrieked. “We’re losing our house, and it’s YOUR fault!”

Confused, I asked her to slow down, and that’s when she dropped the bombshell. The real estate agent who had been listing their house for sale had taken it off the market. Apparently, all the complaints they’d filed about my decorations had made it into their house’s listing report, making the property less desirable. And now, with their over-the-top Halloween antics caught on camera, they looked like the nightmare neighbors that no one would want to live near.

“Thanks to you,” she snapped, “we’re stuck here now!”

I couldn’t help but smile, my anger fading into satisfaction. Maybe, for once, karma had shown up right on time.

4o
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