The sun had dipped, dipping golden light upon the facade of Jean-Louise Children's Paradise, casting long shadows across the colorful banners whipping gaily in the autumn wind. Barely visible from the main road, Molly skulked behind a dumpster at the back of the building, her pebbled loafers pressed against the cracked bricks. Bill, shifting uncomfortably in the tight space, fidgeted with the snap on his tote bag, crammed to the brim with thieving tools of the trade. "Punctual as always, huh?" his voice squawked in her ear as he peered around the corner. "Sshh, do my head in your mouth sometime," Molly hissed, slapping at his arm. She tugged the flashlight from her jacket pocket and shone it towards the back entrance, a recessed door with an ancient deadbolt lock and rusted iron handle. "Plan is to fetch the gifts, drag them out the back door, hoof them to the waiting getaway car, and bolt before the kids wake up." Bill looked unconvinced, his brow furrowing skeptically. "And what if it's not just toys...the Ring or the Crown Jewels or something weirdly specific, like the uncircu-" "Round here," Molly said, shushing him emphatically. "No visualization of bad outcomes now. Straight in, bright navigational beacon, plish all gifts vcloff and out." Without another word, she ventured towards the door. Bill followed close at her heel, candlelight flickering on his stubble. REEEwww!" Inside, things were anything but still, though the room was theatre-dark and he knew no one should be here. The scents of diapered infants, sweet snack cereal, chocolate, pumpkin spice, and yet more dough jittered in his head. "Molly, it's like 8pm on a Tuesday...and the theme for tomorrow's party is Nightmare Before Christmas." She shot him an annoyed look over her shoulder. "Well, it's a Tuesday, Bill. I'm sure it's all one big sleepover birthday party for the wee ones. C'mon." They crept past the echoing catwalk, plastic dollhouses, huge cheetah-print bean bag chairs and highway mirrors to the room marked "Gift Wrapping Station." Molly took the monopod from her bag and turned it towards the tinsel-utopian tables. Bill decentralized flags around questionable holes in the ceiling. She looked up at him with pivoting eyes unveiled with relief. "Alright, it's clean." The Snoozles gangs wait and watch below, and Oogie Boogie's gang waits to woo, wait and wait for the feast to really get underway, wait in it in the shadows for Mother Ginger to get out of our way...but here come real heroes daring in the night to loot the summer dream and do it in the night. They all pressed up against Molly as she looked to Bill with a gravely serious glinting gaze. "Okay, one of us is gonna say it first, and if it's you I'll make fun of you for it. I say we eff this joint." "Molly." She looked at Bill. "Are you ready to get back to the balloons and laughter? Because I'm...done." She stared up at him. "I was hoping you'd say that." They smiled, simultaneously drawing their breaths in their chests before displaying their mouths in grins. "Good show," Molly said. The step up to the shaking truck silhouettes billowing bell-shaped black balloons backlit by dawn's glow set their hearts afire, and they flew out of the sweat-scented enclosure with the dregs of the complaining children fading into the steel blue air behind them. Should we be here? Special gifts for you and your favorite nuisance. -Sincerely, -So sorry, -Get Happy