Unbelievable Behavior
Max couldn't believe what he had just witnessed. He knew he and his neighbor had disputes, but this was over the line. She thought that she could touch his property and get away with it unnoticed.
Thankfully, another neighbor blew the whistle on her antics. After Max learned about her unbelievable behavior, he knew he'd have to teach her a lesson.
Started As An Argument
It all started as an argument in his driveway. All he wanted to do was take out his trash for collection, but his neighbor seemed to have a problem with that.
She was adamant that he had already missed the time for collection. She said he should have taken it out at 7:00 AM, and it was 10:00 AM. But he didn't see a problem.
Hadn't Collected Yet
In Max's mind, he could still take out the trash because the trash collector hadn't actually arrived yet, but his neighbor told him he wasn't allowed to take out his trash past 7:00 AM.
He ignored her and went back into his house. But what he came back to later made his blood boil. He saw that his trash wasn't where he had left it.
A Tattling Neighbor
Just as he wondered what had happened, another concerned neighbor approached Max and told him that he saw his problematic neighbor moving his trash. He couldn't believe she could be so petty.
The collector hadn't collected his trash because his neighbor had moved it away from the pavement. That meant he had a week's worth of garbage to deal with. He knew he'd get her back.
Going Too Far
He knew it would have to be anonymous. He didn't want an all-out war, but he still wanted her to pay for what she had done to him. He plotted his scheme over the next few days until he had it.
He didn't just want to upset her. He wanted her to learn an expensive lesson that would teach her the real meaning of "love thy neighbor." But he went a little too far.
Max Thompson
Max Thompson never liked conflict. Growing up, he'd always hear the voices of his parents fighting through the walls of his bedroom.
He swore that he'd never be like them and chose to always try to resolve conflict in a good-natured manner. But he had no idea what woman fate would make his neighbor.
Aspirations
At the age of eighteen, Max had had enough of his parents' constant fighting and moved out the moment he could. He found a small apartment he could call his own and even a stable job.
He was mostly happy in his new neighborhood, even if things weren't always ideal. One of the annoying things was his work hours.
Graveyard Shift
To afford his rent, Max had to work the graveyard shift as a petrol attendant. It wasn't the most fulfilling job in the world, but it was the best he could find at the time.
It did mean that he worked from 9:00 PM to 5:00 AM every day and slept for most of the morning. He had no idea that this meant a problem would arise with his neighbor.
Getting Home Early
Max would get home from work at 6:00 AM most mornings and immediately collapse into his bed. He'd wake up again at 2:00 PM to go about his day before leaving for work at 8:00 PM again.
But what he wasn't aware of was that his neighbor had been watching him closely, and she didn't like what he was doing.
Complaints
One day, Max had to fetch a package from his front gate. But he had no idea that someone was watching him. He grabbed the package and turned to walk back inside before he heard a voice.
It came from the property next to his. He saw an older woman standing at the property line with a scowl on her face. Clearly, she had a problem with something.
Problem
"Can I help you?" Max politely asked the neighbor. She stared blankly at him for a few moments before replying, "You wake me up every morning when you get home from your parties!"
Max couldn't believe the nerve of the woman. "I'm not partying, I work the night shift, and that's when I get home from work." He sternly told her. But it wasn't good enough. She clearly didn't know who he was.
Entitled
"I don't believe you, and even if I did, it still doesn't mean you can wake me up every morning. So find a decent job and stop waking me up!" She shouted to Max.
He felt his hands ball into fists, but he hated conflict. He wanted to resolve things like mature adults. The only problem was he didn't know how petty she would become.
Calming Her Down
Max explained that he couldn't give up his job and needed it to buy food and pay rent. He told her that he was sorry for the inconvenience and thought she'd leave it at that.
She seemed to think for a while before opening her mouth to speak. His best efforts to calm her down weren't going to make a difference.
Wouldn't Budge
But it was clear that the older woman wouldn't budge. She was set in her ways and would only be uncompromising on all fronts.
His patience was wearing thin, and Max decided to give her a cordial "goodnight" before turning around and heading back inside without waiting to hear a response. He thought the matter was settled; he was wrong.
Week Of Peace
The next week that followed wasn't particularly interesting. Max worked himself to the bone just to be able to afford the basic necessities before collapsing into his bed every morning.
Meanwhile, his neighbor was silently seething. But Max was about to unknowingly trigger an event that would have catastrophic consequences.
Trash Collectors
Once a week, the trash collectors came by to pick up the neighborhood garbage. Their notice said that trash should be taken out by 7:00 AM, but Max noticed they never came that early.
Knowing that they only came at around 11:00 AM on most days, he knew there was breathing room. The biggest issue was his sleep schedule.
Interruption
Every day, Max would have to set the alarm to interrupt his sleeping to take out the trash. He normally slept from 6:00 AM to 10:00 AM and then took out the trash.
After that, he'd sleep again until around 2:00 PM to maximize his rest. But he had no idea that it wasn't good enough for some people.
No Other Option
Max had tried taking out his trash when he got home at 6:00 AM, but he realized that raccoons and other wildlife quickly got into them, ripping up the bags and leaving trash everywhere.
This meant that he had no other option but to take them out at 10:00 AM. He hated having his sleep interrupted, but it was the only way to compromise. But his neighbor didn't see it that way.
Taking Out The Trash
It had been a week since the confrontation with his neighbor, and it was far out of Max's mind. It happened to be one of those days when he had to take the trash out.
He groggily got up and started carrying his trash to the curb. But as he got there, he heard a familiar voice from his right. It was his neighbor yet again.
Not Allowed
"You aren't allowed to take out your trash. You're too late!" The neighbor shouted to Max. He nearly laughed and thought it was a joke.
But from the look on her face, he could tell she wasn't joking. "They haven't come yet; it's okay if I leave it here now or at 7:00 AM." He snapped back.
Ignored Her
Max had learned that the woman wouldn't listen to reason and turned around and went back inside before she could reply.
He went straight to his bed and slept for another five hours before waking up at 3:00 PM. He had overslept because of the "Karen" neighbor, but he had no idea what she had done.
Moved
He stretched, took a shower, and checked the time. He had four hours before he had to get to work. He decided to go get his trashcan back in, but what he saw made his blood boil.
He looked around; it wasn't on the curb anymore. Then he spotted his trash can, still full of trash, hidden behind a tree. Then he saw a neighbor he'd never seen before walking past.
The Truth
When the neighbor saw him, he immediately approached him. "I know what happened to your trash. It's not my business, so I didn't stop her, but I thought you should know."
After the neighbor left, Max stood there with his nails digging into his palms. He had never been so angry before. He would make sure she learned a costly lesson.
Jeffrey
The neighbor introduced himself as Jeffrey and told Max exactly what he had seen just hours earlier. "It seemed as if she wasn't very subtle with what she was doing. It was as if she felt that she was doing the right thing."
It suddenly dawned on Max who he was talking about. It must have been the nosy neighbor from the other night. But he'd regret what he did next.
Moved It
Jeffrey explained what had happened, "She picked up your trash can and dragged it away from the curb. The garbage collectors never even saw it."
Max already had his suspicions, but this was all he needed to know. He felt a transformation overcome him. Jeffrey could clearly see the rage that was coming to the surface and quickly backed off.
Transformation
He stopped being the amicable pushover he had been all of his life. His neighbor was in big trouble. He looked straight at Jeffrey and didn't even say anything.
That's when his legs started doing everything for him. What was he about to do to the smug old woman next door? How would he make sure she'd regret messing with him?
Such Rage
Max had never felt this kind of fury before. And that was mostly due to the fact that he had never encountered a person like his neighbor before.
He had never heard of someone going out of their way to make a stranger’s life difficult. But that was exactly what she was doing. Little did she know that revenge would come knocking.
It Was Beyond Him
Max just couldn’t understand why this was happening to him. He couldn’t understand why his neighbor had it out for him the way she did.
But at that point, he no longer cared either. He just wanted to teach the woman a lesson. And it would be one that she wouldn’t soon forget. What would he do?
Couldn’t She Leave Him Alone?
With each step he took, Max could feel his fury rising. It was at the point of engulfing him, and he knew that wouldn’t be a good thing.
But what else could he do? It's not like he could pretend this wasn’t happening. And it didn’t look like his neighbor was planning on stopping any time soon.
Was She Looking For War?
It was clear that this woman was trying one of two things. Either she was trying her best to irritate him with the hope that he would move out. Or she was looking for a war.
But Max wasn’t the type that would allow himself to get bullied by anyone. And that was a lesson this woman would learn the hard way.
Keep Walking
With his mind muddled and fury burning the blood in his veins, Max kept walking. He still didn’t know where he was going or what he planned on doing once he arrived.
But once he found out, he realized that he was going too far. His rage has gotten the better of him. And he knew that acting on rage was never the best solution.
Giving Her A Piece Of His Mind
He felt his blood boil. Feeling unnaturally irrational, his legs started moving forward without his brain telling them to.
He had no idea what he was doing. All he knew was that he was on the verge of blacking out from rage. Then he realized where he was headed, his neighbor's house.
What Would He Do?
He felt his sanity slipping away as if he had turned into Jack from The Shining. He had no idea what he had planned to do with the woman when he got there.
He had left his other neighbor, Jeffrey, standing on his lawn. He was normally trying to de-escalate the situation, not make it worse. He knew he had to stop the madness.
Utter Madness
Max knew what he was feeling and doing was insane. But he had no idea how to stop the madness. His body was no longer in his control, and his brain seemed incapable of regaining the power.
Was he really going to show up at her doorstep in a fit of rage? Was there no way for him to stop himself?
How Could He Stop It?
Max felt like he was losing his mind, his power over himself. And that didn’t sit too well with him at all. But what could he do?
How could he stop the rage from overpowering him? How could he stop it from making him act in ways he had been trying to avoid his entire life?
How Could He Stop Himself?
Max had never felt so powerless before, and he hated it. It didn’t matter how angry he got in the past. There was always some semblance of control. He never let things go this far.
But this time, he couldn’t stop it, and it was maddening. He needed to find a way to calm himself down before it was too late and he did something he’d end up regretting.
Calm Down!
Max tried every trick in the book. He tried arguing with his body. He tried ordering it to stop. He tried everything he could think of to calm himself down. But nothing seemed to work.
That’s when he thought of a trick he had learned during a course he took. “Breathe,” he told himself. Would it work? Or had he reached the point of no return?
Why Was It So Hard?
Max tried taking a deep breath, but it didn’t work. All he could do was take shallow pants because it felt like his lungs were constricted.
He needed to calm his mind so his body could start working again. He needed to regain some kind of control so he could take over once more. Could he do that?
Coming Back To Reality
Max focused all of his attention on breathing deeply. He knew he had to calm down and snap back to reality.
He had almost made it to her front lawn before he stopped himself from going any further. He had come to his senses just in time. He was scared of what he might have done if he hadn't.
Another Way
Max knew that there was another way that wouldn't resort to violence or confrontation. He walked back to his neighbor, still standing on the lawn, and thanked him for letting him know about the truth.
He walked inside and checked the time. There was more than enough time to start the planning. He grinned as he brainstormed.
Hatching A Plan
He knew he had a few hours to spare before he had to go work his graveyard shift. He would make good use of that time.
He immediately got to work planning something that would make sure his neighbor knew not to mess with him. He smirked, knowing that this would be the last time the old woman ever tried something on him.
A Bunch Of Ideas
Max sat down and started thinking about what he was going to do to get his revenge. And he came up with a ton of ideas.
The thing was that he needed to pick one, and he had to ensure that the idea he picked made enough of an impact to get his message across. What would he go for?
What To Do?
Max started eliminating things from his list in order to limit it to only the most impressive acts of revenge. And now he was sitting with five items.
The problem was that he didn’t know which one to pick. They were all equally potent, but there had to be one that stood out above the rest. Which one was it?
Picking The Perfect One
Max trimmed his list once more, and this time, he was left with two ideas. They were the most potent of them all. And they both guaranteed the reaction he was looking for.
Now all he had to do was pick one of them. And he took his sweet time to make the decision, wanting the one that would have the most devastating result.
This Or That?
“This one or that one?” Max asked himself as he swung around on his office chair. “Which one would have the ultimate effect?”
The question roamed around his mind the entire night. They both seemed equally potent, but one had to be the ultimate act of revenge. Which one was it? By the end of his shift, he had the answer.
The One And Only
As Max’s shift drew to a close, he realized what the best plan was. He would do to his neighbor what she did to him.
If she wanted to play with trash, she had to be careful not to fall into it after all. What did he have in mind? And what part did the trash have to play in his grand scheme?
Stooping To Her Level
This wasn't a conflict that could be solved by amicable means. Max would be kidding himself if he thought that this insane woman could be reasoned with.
He’d already seen how she reacted to him trying to talk to her rationally. He knew that she would only react to means that stepped as low as hers.
Off To Work
Max had dedicated a few hours to his plan by the time he had to go to work. It started with his connections. He knew a thing or two about trash collecting that his neighbor didn’t.
He had already figured most of it out by the time he got into his car and left for work. He saw the old woman sitting on her porch watching him. He knew that grin would soon turn into a scowl.
Crazy Neighbor
On the way to work, Max thought about his plan. He would have to be patient to see it through, but that was his strong suit. He imagined the look on her face after he made the call.
The crazy neighbor would only get what was coming to her in a week's time. Max was prepared to wait for the sweet revenge.
Insider Knowledge
Max had some insider knowledge that he knew would help him against the neighbor. Before he worked at the gas station, he was trying to get another job. One that was coincidentally tied to the situation he was in now.
He was trained as a trash collector months ago but ultimately never got the job. This meant that he knew that the trash collector service billed everyone on the 1st of every month.
Using It To His Advantage
He would use this to his advantage. He knew that he could make her life a living hell by just calling one number. He even knew that they had no security other than asking for the address. It was perfect.
His neighbor would never even know that it was he that tampered with things in her life. She didn't know who she was messing with.
The Next Day
The next day when Max woke up, he finalized his plan and looked up the trash collector's number. He found it and punched it into his phone.
He was put on hold and had to wait for an operator to answer. He didn’t mind waiting. He’d have to wait a week to see the results of his labor anyway.
Imagining Her Reaction
He smirked as he imagined what his neighbor's reaction would be. The phone dialed, and he heard someone on the other side answer.
He spoke with a nice woman who managed to help him achieve exactly what he needed. He thanked her for her time and put down the phone - the deed was done.
A Week Later
Max had set his plans into motion. He patiently waited for a week, knowing what would happen the next trash collection day.
In the week that went by, his neighbor was just as intolerable as ever. She complained about waking her up even though he couldn’t help it. But everything was tolerable since he knew what was about to happen.
Taking Out The Trash
The week passed, and it was finally the day that his revenge would happen. He made sure to take out his trash at 7:00 AM on the dot. His neighbor did at the same time.
He was ready for whatever delusional speech she had to give him. He would tolerate just about anything because he knew he had the upper hand.
Patience
She made a quip that she was glad that he had seen reason and had taken his trash out at the proper time. Max smiled and was polite; he needed patience.
It took every ounce of his willpower not to say something clever back. He was now playing along with her game, but in just a few hours, her whole world would be tumbling down.
An Overflowing Mess
It was just a little longer now that he had to wait. He left his trash on the curb and saw his neighbor’s there too. It was an overflowing mess.
He went back inside and took his nap but was woken up at 1:00 PM by the sound of screaming. Normally, he would have been concerned by such a noise, but this time, he smiled.
Sweet Revenge
Max smiled and recalled what he had done. He called the trash collectors a week prior and told them that he wanted to cancel his plan with them.
They said that it would incur a penalty since the 1st of the month was around the corner, but he insisted. He knew exactly what he was doing.
Taking Everything
He knew they'd take his dustbin, too, since that was technically rented. Then the operator asked him the fateful question. What was his address?
But the real twist was that he gave his neighbor's address instead of his, so they thought she canceled her service. They didn’t ask any other questions, and he knew this.
Paying The Penalty
This meant that they took not only her trash but also her whole trash can. If she wanted to get it back, she'd have to pay the penalty.
The neighbor was left standing on the curb without a trash can. Max looked out of his window and could see her dialing a number. He knew that she was about to find out what had happened. He heard her shouting into the phone from his apartment. He knew she'd never mess with anyone again.
In order to protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblances to actual events, places, or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.