Run: 2026-02-16-01KHM62G8G4CVXEZTVQ8MKMR2A

**The Great Party Heist** Molly adjusted the oversized clown nose she’d crammed onto her face while Bill struggled to tie a balloon animal that looked more like a mutated sausage. They crouched behind a hedge outside the brightly decorated Henderson house, where the sounds of children screaming and a tinny rendition of *Happy Birthday* blared from a cheap speaker. "This is stupid," Bill muttered, wrestling with the balloon until it popped in his face. "We’re gonna rob a *kid’s* party?" Molly shot him a glare. "Not just any kid—*Tiffany Henderson’s* kid. Her dad owns half the city. You think those presents under the sparkly *Happy 6th Birthday* banner are dollar-store junk? That’s primo loot, Bill." "I still feel bad," Bill grumbled, rubbing his ear where the balloon had startled him. "Nobody’s making you steal the kid’s favorite teddy bear, Bill. Just the expensive stuff." Molly pulled out a crumpled map of the backyard drawn in crayon. "Okay, here’s the plan: We go in disguised as party entertainers—" "Clowns? Really?" "You got a better idea, genius?" "Yeah. Not being clowns." "Too late for that," Molly said, shoving a rainbow wig onto his head. "We mingle, pass out candy, then sneak the presents to the ‘clown car’—which is *your* car, by the way. I put a sign on it." Bill squinted toward the driveway where his rusty sedan now bore a slapped-on sign: *SMILES & GIGGLES ENTERTAINMENT*. "We’re gonna get caught." "No, *you’re* gonna get us caught with that attitude." Molly straightened her polka-dot suspenders. "Remember: distraction is key. Once I start the *Big Magic Show*, you grab the loot. Simple." Bill sighed. "What’s the *Big Magic Show*?" "The sprinklers." Bill groaned. Inside the party, squealing children ran between sugar-fueled chaos as parents sipped lukewarm punch, looking exhausted. Molly bounded in with exaggerated enthusiasm. "HELLO, LITTLE FRIENDS! WHO WANTS TO SEE A *MAGIC TRICK*?" The kids shrieked, circling her like tiny, feral wolves. Bill shuffled behind, eyeing the glittering pile of presents. Molly whipped out a cheap plastic wand. "BEHOLD! I SHALL MAKE… *WATER APPEAR FROM THE SKY!*" She flipped a hidden switch on her belt. The sprinklers erupted. Screams. Absolute pandemonium. Bill seized the moment, shoving presents into a sack while parents scrambled to rescue soggy cupcakes. A small boy tugged at Bill’s sleeve. "Are you a bad clown?" "Uh. No?" Bill said, sweating. "You look like a bad clown." Bill turned just as a furious mother in dripping mascara zeroed in on him. "Who *are* you?" Molly grabbed Bill’s arm. "ABRACADABRA—*BYE!*" They bolted for the "clown car," arms full of loot, balloons trailing behind them like a ridiculous getaway flag. Bill wheezed as they peeled out. "We left the maps! The crayon maps!" Molly cackled. "Relax, Bill. Those were *decoys*." Bill stared. "You drew *fake* crayon maps?" Molly grinned. "Welcome to the big leagues, partner." The sedan sputtered away, leaving only the faint echo of a deflating balloon behind.