Just then, we heard a car pulling up. Dan was back early.
“Showtime,” I muttered, heading inside to watch from my window.
Dan’s reaction was… well, priceless doesn’t even begin to cover it. He stumbled out of his car, his jaw dropped as he took in the scene.
“What the… JIMMY!” he roared, spinning around to face my house. “Get out here, you son of a—”
I stepped out onto my porch, cool as a cucumber. “Problem, Dan?”
His face was purple with rage. “You… you…” he sputtered, grabbing a bag of trash. “I’ll kill you!”
But then he froze, eyes locked on something above my head. I smiled. “Like my new security cameras, Dan? They catch everything. Pretty neat, huh?”
Dan’s shoulders slumped. He knew he was beaten.
As he trudged off to start cleaning, I couldn’t help but feel a little smug. “Guess the shoe’s on the other foot now, eh, Dan?” I called out.
He didn’t answer, but the look he gave me said it all. This wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.
As I sat there, looking out at my peaceful backyard, I couldn’t help but wonder if it was all worth it. The fence stands tall, a silent reminder of our feud.
Dan’s dogs still bark, but it’s muffled now. A tense peace has settled over our little corner of the neighborhood.
Whenever I catch Dan’s eye as he’s watering his roses, we both quickly look away. There’s no friendship there, and probably never will be. But there’s respect, born from mutually assured destruction.
Since that day, he’s never dared to mess up with me.
Sometimes, you need to fight venom with venom. Ever had such annoying neighbors who’d leave no stone unturned to make your life a nightmare?
This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
