Run: 2026-02-16-01KHKAAY0B6F6063K2X6W1WCK9

Molly crouched behind the inflatable unicorn, covert in a raincoat patterned with ducklings. Inside the community hall, toddlers ricocheted off furniture, balloons drifted like rubbery asteroids, and the gift table sagged under mountains of aggressively cheerful wrapping paper. Icing already frosted the walls in optimistic handprints. "Perfect chaos for generous parents," Molly whispered. Bill adjusted his glittery clown wig, the elastic biting his neck. Confetti clung to his fake mustache like radioactive dandruff as he peered through the smeared window. Parents clustered near the coffee urn, clinging to paper cups as if they were flotation devices on a sea of shrieking children. A weary magician misfired doves into the ceiling fan. "Route, timing, exit, minimal screaming," Bill muttered. Molly produced a hand-drawn blueprint of the hall, executed in crayon, complete with stick-figure lookouts and tiny skulls over each security hazard. The bouncy castle was marked as a high-risk trampoline of doom. "We slip in during piñata," Molly said. Bill eyed the towering pile of presents and the wobbling cake. "Relax, kids never suspect clowns," Bill replied. He straightened his oversized shoes, practiced a wobbling pratfall in the gravel, and followed Molly toward the door as the music peaked inside, shrill.