She was hiding.
Vanellope von Schweetz, the "glitch" of Sugar Rush, had shrouded herself in the Candy Tree forest.
She could not let them find her.
Vanellope von Schweetz had done it once more. She had tried to enter a Random Roster Race. This time she had taken a gold coin from a certain Halloween-themed racer of Sugar Rush. Witchy Halloweena, a very baleful racer indeed.
But they had sought her out before she could truly enter the race. And now they had come after her.
It wasn't uncommon; Vanellope had grown accustomed to the racers of Sugar Rush tormenting and maltreating. But these last few weeks, something appeared to have changed.
Before, the racers simply wrecked her kart or knocked her into a taffy swamp. But these last few weeks, it seemed as though something had snapped in them.
They had started ignoring her karts. They had just attacked on her. They left her kart in one piece while they appeared to try and break Vanellope herself. Bruises and scars were already apparent on her skin.
And now that she had taken Witchy's gold coin, it seemed that it had been the last straw.
They besieged her home of Diet Cola Volcano and forced her out. Now they were trying to find her.
"Glitch!"
Vanellope's code ran cold. She could recognize Witchy's raspy voice over the sound of the mumbling and complaining of a group of other racers.
Vanellope's eyes darted around from behind a tree, looking for some way to escape. But alas, she was not able to act quick enough.
"There she is!"
Vanellope glitched and broke apart into code as her eyes trailed onto Chocoletta Drizzelcap. Her arm was stretched and she was pointing at her, a look of triumph on her face. Suddenly, more racers ran out through the forest.
Vanellope knew she had no choice. She had to run. But before she could even move, Chocoletta swung her fist and punched Vanellope in the gut.
With a gasp of shock and agony, Vanellope plunged onto the ground.
"Glitch!" She shouted furiously. As Vanellope struggled to sit up, she looked around to see a mob of angry racers, seething in outrage.
Witchy pushed her way through the crowd of racers.
"Um, Ms. Halloweena..." Vanellope mumbled, ashamed and nervous. Witchy's fists were clenched at her sides, her eyes narrowed with anger. Her elegant black cape blew from behind her.
"Shut up, glitch!" She shouted angrily. She pointed a finger at Vanellope, and her purple eyes narrowed into slits.
"I know you're mad, Witchy, but-" Before Vanellope could continue, Witchy kicked her in the stomach. A shout escaped Vanellope's lips as she once again crashed to the ground.
"You didn't think you would get away with your crime, glitch!" Witchy seethed.
Vanellope got to her feet, and a twinge of frustration shown in her eyes. "What crime?" She asked. "I just wanted to race like you! Why won't you understand?"
A sinister smile shown on Witchy's face. "You're crime?" She asked, her voice unsteadily quieting. "Why, you're crime of glitchcraft!"
The other racers mumbled in agreement as Witchy smiled victoriously. "We've seen you do it," Witchy continued. "We know what you've been doing. So, you want to destroy Sugar Rush, and the arcade?!"
"No, I just want to race," Vanellope said, shaking in fear.
"So you can destroy Sugar Rush!" Witchy repeated. "King Candy told us."
"King Candy is a lying cheat!" Vanellope blurted out before covering her mouth in shock. All of the other racers gasped except Witchy. Witchy just continued to grin, but it was clear that she wanted to strangle Vanellope.
"You see?" Candella shouted. "She's admitted to working against the king!" She lunged towards Vanellope in rage, but Licorice and Popsicella held her back.
"How dare you?" Witchy asked. "HOW DARE YOU?!"
Vanellope trembled with fear.
"You truly thought you could just get away with everything you've done?" Witchy asked.
Vanellope's eyebrows furrowed with anger. "You've destroyed my kart and my home, Witchy!" She shouted. "Just leave me alone!"
"Uh, uh, uh," Witchy said as she started pacing around in front of Vanellope. "You see, glitch, every crime has a penalty. And you're penalty is most severe."
Witchy gestured for the other racers. With looks of ferocity and anticipation on their faces, they slowly stepped forward.
"Wait, what are you doing?" Vanellope asked. None of the racers responded. Suddenly, Vanellope could see sticks and stones and spears in their hands.
"Glitches don't regenerate," Chocoletta whispered as she raised her spear over her head.
"Wait, guys no!" Vanellope shouted, but the racers continued forward.
Witchy stood back, holding her wand in her hand. Then, she started to speak in an emotionless tone, showing neither happiness, grief, sadness, or victory.
"With a heavy heart, we must do what is right..."
A club was brought down on Vanellope's forehead, evoking a scream of anguish.
"For every soul to sleep peacefully at night..."
A spear was jabbed forward, and Vanellope was slammed into a tree.
"With every stab, every club, every maim..."
Vanellope was shoved onto the ground, and she screamed in terror as the racers crowded over her.
"We will send this creature back from whence she came..."
A chain was wrapped around Vanellope neck, causing her to choke unevenly.
"Soon, she will only be known from focal lore..."
Chocoletta and Sorbet pulled the chain tight around Vanellope's neck, and there was a horrific snap, followed by Vanellope's body going limp.
"...And the glitch of Sugar Rush...is no more."
