Run: 2026-09-03-01M1K5P17A088S1PF7BGWNHMED

The van smelled faintly of old french fries and desperation. Molly had parked two houses down from the bouncy castle, binoculars pressed to her eyes while Bill tried to look inconspicuous in a stolen clown wig. The street was quiet except for the distant thump of children's music and the hiss of a grill where a dad was burning burgers with intense concentration. "Okay, so walk me through the plan again," Bill said. "We are robbing a six-year-old?" "We are liberating presents from a six-year-old," Molly corrected. "There's a difference." "Morally or legally?" "That kid is getting twenty gifts. That's better than the jewelry store." Bill adjusted his squeaky red nose. "The jewelry store had cameras. This has moms. Moms are worse." Molly lowered the binoculars. Across the street, a banner read HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAYDEN! and a clown was twisting balloons into what looked like tortured poodles. A table near the back was piled high with brightly wrapped boxes. Molly's eyes gleamed. She had cased grocery stores, gas stations, even a dentist's office, but nothing had ever looked so poorly guarded and so beautifully wrapped. "Look at that table," Molly whispered. "That is a mountain of potential. Legos, video games, cash in cards." "So we just walk in?" Bill asked. "No, we create a distraction. You do your clown thing." "I don't have a clown thing." "You practiced the balloon animals for three days." "I can only make a snake. Every animal ends up a snake." Molly sighed and pulled a duffel bag onto her lap. "Fine. Plan B. I go in as the entertainer. You wait by the gate with the bag. When I signal, you grab the presents." "What's the signal?" "I'll yell surprise!" "At a surprise party? That's confusing." "It's a birthday party, Bill. Everything is a surprise at six." Bill stared at the yard. A dozen screaming children chased each other with juice boxes. A harried father was trying to keep the cake from collapsing in the heat. "I still feel weird stealing from kids," Bill muttered. "Can't we hit a bank?" "Banks have vaults. Jayden has wrapping paper. Which can you open with scissors?" "The presents, obviously." "Exactly. Low security, high reward. Nobody expects present thieves." Molly checked her watch. "The magic show starts in five minutes. That's our window. The parents will be distracted. We slip in, we slip out." "And if we get caught?" Bill asked. "We say we're performance artists." "And if they call the cops?" "We run. Very fast artists." A warm wind carried the smell of frosting and sunscreen. Somewhere, a child screamed with delight as the bouncy castle deflated slightly under the weight of too many jumpers. Molly opened the van door. The sound of children shrieking Happy Birthday off-key rolled down the street. "Ready?" she asked, pulling on a bright pink magician's cape. Bill took a deep breath, his wig tilting sideways. "For the record, the snake balloon is charming." "It is," Molly said. "Now let's steal some childhood innocence."