Run: 2026-02-16-01KHM5TMC20E24DTGDQBV35WG7

The dim glow of a single bulb flickered above the rickety wooden table where Molly and Bill hunched over a hand-drawn map of the neighborhood. A half-empty bottle of cheap whiskey sat between them, its contents barely enough to fuel their questionable decision-making. Molly tapped the map with a chipped fingernail. “Alright, listen up, genius. The target’s the Henderson kid’s birthday party. Starts at two, ends at five. That’s our window.” Bill squinted at the scribbled lines. “A kid’s party? You sure about this? Last time we hit a daycare, you got stuck in the ball pit.” “That was *one time*,” Molly snapped. “And I maintain—those things are death traps. But this? This is easy. Parents are distracted, kids are sugared up, and security’s a joke. One guy in a clown costume who’s probably just Uncle Dave with a red nose.” Bill scratched his stubble. “So, what? We just waltz in, grab the presents, and leave?” “No, you moron. We *blend in*.” Molly reached into a duffel bag and pulled out two oversized, brightly colored costumes. “Ta-da! We go in as party entertainers.” Bill held up a polka-dotted clown suit with visible disdain. “You expect me to wear this?” “You got a better idea? Because ‘Bill the Invisible Man’ isn’t exactly a thing.” “Fine,” he grumbled. “But if one kid asks me to make a balloon animal, I’m out.” Molly rolled her eyes. “Just stick to the plan. We show up, do a little song-and-dance, keep ‘em busy while we case the gift table. Then, during the cake chaos, we load up and vanish.” Bill frowned. “What song-and-dance?” “I don’t know, *Happy Birthday*? Wave your arms around. Kids love that.” “I’m not a performer, Molly. I’m a thief.” “And today, you’re a thief *in clown makeup*.” She tossed him a greasepaint kit. “Now, here’s the real genius part—we don’t even need a getaway car. We load the presents into a piñata, smash it open later, boom. Profit.” Bill blinked. “That’s… actually not terrible.” “I know.” Molly grinned. “And if anyone asks, we’re just the ‘special surprise’ the parents hired.” Bill sighed, resigned. “Alright. But if this goes south, I’m blaming you.” “When has that ever stopped us?” Molly clapped him on the back. “Now, put on your happy face. Literally.” Bill groaned as he uncapped the makeup. “I swear, one of these days, we’re gonna plan a normal heist.” Molly smirked. “Where’s the fun in that?” The bulb flickered again as they got to work, the faint sound of a distant ice cream truck playing like the soundtrack to their terrible, beautiful idea.