Run: 2026-02-16-01KHKA8B89VN4AJPRSFVT19NXK

Night draped the apartment in blue, and Molly slid her finger along the edge of a map like it was a treasure map for toddlers. Bill wore a grin that looked suspiciously like trouble wearing a sweater. They were planning something ridiculous and dangerous, and they knew it. On the kitchen table sat a plastic cake, a spilled jar of glitter, and a flyer for a kid's party with cartoon animals dancing in circles. The presents waited behind a glass door, thick with plastic wrap and the sighs of parents everywhere. Molly drew a circle around the date on the calendar while Bill measured the minutes like coins, imagining a grand heist without alarms, without fuss, just a touch of whimsy that might melt into the walls and vanish. "Molly: If we pull this off, we'll retire to a shack made of balloons." "Bill: Balloons? I thought we agreed on a cape and a magic wand." "Molly: The wand is imaginary; the balloons are for route markers." "Bill: I can pretend, but the heist is real." "Molly: First, we verify the perimeter, then we negotiate with the party planner." "Bill: The perimeter is fine as long as the dog doesn't bark." "Molly: Also, we should wear matching hats so nobody suspects a duo of fashion icons." "Bill: Hats are good; also snacks." "Molly: Snacks buy silence; silence buys time." "Bill: Time is money, and money buys ferry tickets away." "Molly: We'll slip in through the back door that squeaks like a tired fairy." "Bill: The party has balloons and a clown; cover." "Molly: But we must not wake the birthday girl with a squeal." "Bill: Not a peep, promise." Molly drew a circle around the date on the calendar while Bill measured the minutes like coins, imagining a grand heist without alarms, without fuss, just a touch of whimsy that might melt into the walls and vanish. Bill slid the chair away, stepping light as if the floor remembered every mistake they ever made. Molly walked to the window and pressed her palm against the cold glass, listening to the distant thump of drums and a ring of laughter that sounded fake and perfect at the same time. The party planned with painted cookies and a photographer who pretended not to notice the missing glow in the room's corner. They talked about excuses that sounded like lullabies and alibis that could survive a Monday morning. Outside, a neighbor watered azaleas and hummed Christmas tunes that had nothing to do with the season. Inside the pantry, their plan fidgeted like a stubborn screw, refusing to tighten until hunger or luck nudged it. Molly cleared her throat and rehearsed the safest lie they had left. Bill found a chair that squeaked theatrically and pressed it to the back of his mind, a prop for the moment when a grownup would ask who was responsible. They breathed in the taste of peppermint, counted to ten slowly, and pretended nothing in their apartment had the slightest gravity. The plan might fail, but the room hummed with ridiculous courage. Outside, the world kept its ordinary glow, and Molly smiled softly. When the last syllable of the promise faded, the apartment kept its secrets. Bill slid the chair away, stepping light as if the floor remembered every mistake they ever made. Molly walked to the window and pressed her palm against the cold glass, listening to the distant thump of drums and a ring of laughter that sounded fake and perfect at the same time. The party planned with painted cookies and a photographer who pretended not to notice the missing glow in the room's corner. They talked about excuses that sounded like lullabies and alibis that could survive a Monday morning. Outside, a neighbor watered azaleas and hummed Christmas tunes that had nothing to do with the season. Inside the pantry, their plan fidgeted like a stubborn screw, refusing to tighten until hunger or luck nudged it. Molly cleared her throat and rehearsed the safest lie they had left. Bill found a chair that squeaked theatrically and pressed it to the back of his mind, a prop for the moment when a grownup would ask who was responsible. They breathed in the taste of peppermint, counted to ten slowly, and pretended nothing in their apartment had the slightest gravity. The plan might fail, but the room hummed with ridiculous courage. Outside, the world kept its ordinary glow, and Molly smiled softly.