Run: 2026-03-18-01KM0AP7GBXKN2BHSWG39Q2NGK

Rain slicked the alley behind the community hall, where Molly and Bill crouched beside a catering cart that smelled faintly of frosting and defeat. Through the frosted windows they could see balloons, paper crowns, and a chaos of tiny feet circling the gift table like raccoons around a trash can. “Worth it?” Molly whispered. “Absolutely,” Bill said. “Kids never inventory the glitter.” “And the parents?” “Distracted by juice boxes and competitive smiling.” Bill adjusted his tie, a criminally good one, and opened the envelope of invitations he'd stolen from the recycling bin. The plan was elegant in the way only terrible plans could be: he would deliver a fake magician's message, Molly would roll in a cart marked EXTRA NAPKINS, and together they'd swap the real presents for identical empty boxes they had packed with old newspapers and one deeply insulting banana. Unfortunately, the hall door was guarded by a volunteer clown with a clipboard and the haunted stare of a woman who had seen too many pinatas. Molly peered at the clown and sighed. “You handle the banana,” she said. Bill grinned, already in motion, because every great robbery begins with a bad idea and excellent timing indeed.