Run: 2026-03-06-01KK1GAMWGW23RZDWM870J5B1C

Molly crouched behind the garden wall, peering at balloons bobbing above the hedge like surveillance blimps. Bill unfolded a crayon-smeared invitation as if it were blueprints for a bank job. “Three o’clock cake,” Molly whispered. “That’s when the adults get sentimental and useless.” “Useless? Last time a grandmother hit me with a juice box,” Bill said. “You were rattling a piñata with a screwdriver.” “I was checking for alarms.” Beyond the hedge, children shrieked around a bouncy castle shaped like a pirate ship. Presents glittered on a table under a banner reading HAPPY SIXTH, OLIVER. “Look at that haul,” Molly said. “Board games, remote-control dinosaurs, suspiciously square boxes. It’s a gold mine with wrapping paper.” Bill adjusted his flat cap. “What’s the exit strategy?” “Simple. You pose as the magician’s assistant.” “There’s a magician?” “There will be if you flap your arms confidently.” Bill stared. “And you?” “I’ll infiltrate the kitchen, neutralize the sausage rolls, and secure the gift table.” “That is not a plan. That is a cry for help.” Molly grinned and produced two paper party hats. “Disguises.” Bill accepted one with tragic dignity. “If I die under a banner font like that, I’m haunting you specifically.” “Good,” Molly said. “Now smile. Nothing alarms parents like a frown.”