I’ve always been the person who goes all out for Halloween. It’s not just about costumes or trick-or-treating for me; it’s the whole atmosphere that gets me excited. I love how the whole neighborhood comes alive — houses decorated with skeletons, ghosts hanging from trees, and pumpkins lining every porch. It’s like stepping into a fairytale.
For years, my house has been one of the standout spots in the neighborhood when it comes to decorations. Some neighbors even voted me as the best-decorated house in the area, and I loved it. Halloween was my thing.But this year, I had a business trip that overlapped with the holiday. I was supposed to come back after Halloween, but things changed unexpectedly, and I was able to catch an earlier flight home — just in time for Halloween night. Of course, I couldn’t let my decorations sit in the yard without someone looking after them, so I asked my neighbor, Trina, to take care of my cat while I was away. She agreed, and everything seemed fine.
Or so I thought.
When I got home on the evening of October 31st, ready to put on my costume and enjoy the trick-or-treaters, I couldn’t believe my eyes. My entire front yard — all my carefully placed skeletons, cobwebs, and hanging witches — was gone. At first, I thought I had imagined it, but then I walked down the street and saw my decorations… all over Trina’s house. She had taken down everything I had put up and used it to decorate her own yard.
My jaw nearly hit the floor. I couldn’t believe it. The audacity! But instead of storming over there to make a scene, I decided I’d teach her a little lesson — the kind she’d never forget.
I went to the store and bought a few cans of bright neon paint. As I walked back home, a smile slowly crept across my face. It was time for some payback.
With the paint in hand, I made my way to Trina’s house. I was careful not to be seen as I approached, but it didn’t take long to find the perfect spot to make my mark. Right next to her porch, where my old decorations were now proudly displayed, I sprayed bright neon green and orange paint all over her garden gnomes, her pumpkins, and even on the little fake ghosts she had hanging from her trees. It was a mess — a very visible mess — and I couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction with every spray.
By the time I was done, Trina’s house was an absolute eyesore. My decorations — the ones she had “borrowed” — were now covered in paint. It was as if her entire house had been vandalized, and honestly, I had no regrets.
I waited for the inevitable confrontation. Sure enough, the next day, Trina came over, furious. She started with, “What did you do to my house?”
“Oh, I’m sorry, I thought you liked my decorations so much that I wanted to make them even better,” I replied with an innocent smile, playing dumb.
Her face went from red to purple as she stammered, trying to figure out how to respond. “You… you ruined everything! My house looks terrible!”
“Well,” I said, still playing the part of the confused neighbor, “you must have really liked my decorations if you thought you could just take them without asking. I thought we were friends, but I guess not.”
The tension in the air was thick. Trina didn’t know how to come back from that. She mumbled something about “not realizing how attached I was to my stuff,” but I could tell she was embarrassed. The reality was, she hadn’t just borrowed a few things; she had taken my entire display — and now she had to face the consequences.
Since then, I haven’t heard a peep from Trina. Her house is back to its usual boring self, and my decorations are back in my yard, where they belong. I’m still not sure what she was thinking, but I think she learned her lesson. And as for me? I’ll be going even bigger next year.