Run: 2026-04-25-01KQ2EXXJG2R5NAJKBGMHCD4XY

Molly wiped a smudge of greasepaint from her cheek and squinted through the candy-cane-striped binoculars. The target was a pastel-colored house groaning under the weight of crepe paper and parental anxiety. A banner flapped in the breeze: “Happy 5th Birthday, Oliver!” Beneath it, a trestle table sagged with loot—flat-screen-sized boxes wrapped in dinosaurs, glittering bags of unknown treasure, and a suspiciously teapot-shaped parcel that Molly coveted. Bill cracked his knuckles inside his furry bear costume, the headpiece tucked under his arm like a severed mascot. He had a juice box in one hand and a lockpick disguised as a party blower in the other. “Piñata’s gift cards,” Molly said. “I’ll be the magician’s assistant,” Bill replied, his voice muffled by the bear head when he jammed it on. “The clown?” she asked, nodding toward a man on stilts. “Allergic to cats. Brought a tabby.” Bill unzipped a gym bag revealing a sleepy orange cat wearing a tiny party hat. “We go at cake,” Molly decided, checking her watch. The birthday song had started, a discordant wail of small children. Molly slipped a whoopee cushion into her back pocket. Bill fed the tabby, nodding slowly. The sugar-fueled chaos was nigh.