I got this idea from someone who reviewed Ring Around the Rosie (don't remember the username). The song is Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star from Dead Space. This can be read as a prequel or a sequel to Ring Around the Rosie.

Enjoy, guys...

When Percy didn't come out after five minutes, Annabeth was fine.

When he didn't come out after ten minutes, she was fine.

When he didn't come out after thirty minutes, she was very, very not fine.

She paced back and forth in her room. Grover, Juniper, Leo, Piper, and Hazel watched her with worried eyes. Percy was still not back yet. Tensions were running high, and Annabeth was blaming herself right about now. If only she hadn't dared him to go into the di Angelo house. If only he'd refused. If only-

"Annabeth, stop pacing, you'll wear a hole in the carpet." Annabeth whipped her head around to glare at Leo. His joking smile melted right off and he rubbed the back of his neck. "Too soon?"

"I'm tempted to knock you out, Valdez."

"Point taken, blondie."

Before Annabeth could lunge for the young Latino, Piper held up her hands and said, "Wait, guys. Let's not fight. We should go look for Percy, yeah?"

Grover looked at the Native American girl. "Percy's my best bud, but I am not going in the di Angelo house, no fuckin' way." Juniper, Leo, and Hazel nodded in agreement.

Piper opened her mouth, but was cut off by a loud, indescribable noise. It sounded like it was coming from right across the street. The di Angelo house.

They all crowded around the window. A long, loud scream sounded from inside as the house trembled. A spectral glow shone out of all the windows and cracks in the wood. Just as suddenly as it came, the scream cut off in a worrying way. Annabeth clapped a hand over her mouth to keep from screaming. She knew that voice: Percy.

All the light from the house seemed to drain down to the now open front door. The light shaped and shone until a boy stood in the doorway. Annabeth could see him from this far, their houses were only separated by a narrow street. He looked exactly like his old pictures. She'd taken the liberty of looking up the di Angelos and their house's history. It was gruesome, really, but so fascinating.

It was considerably less fascinating when the ghost of Nico di Angelo looked right at her.

The ghost boy disappeared from the doorway. All the teenagers looked around outside, wondering where he'd gone… Boo.

The room was filled with shrieks of terror as they all turned around to see the ghost boy standing in front of Annabeth's door, a sickly sweet smile on his face. He looked so innocent with that little smile. Almost too innocent. Annabeth didn't like the look of it at all.

Nico stepped toward the group, effectively making everyone press against the wall. He cocked his head to the side and make a confused face. He spoke without opening his mouth. What's wrong, everyone? Am I...intruding? He said the word intruding in a disturbingly silky tone. Dread dropped like a rock into the bottom of Annabeth's stomach.

"Yes, very much in- OW, PIPER!" Leo rubbed the red spot on his arm left by Piper's hand. He muttered profanity under his breath and glared at her.

Piper looked at Nico with a guarded smile. "No, it's okay. But, if I may, why are you here?" There's Piper, Annabeth thought. Always a way with words.

Nico's smile melted off his face. It was replaced by a fury that sent chills down Annabeth's spine. I could have asked the same of Percy, but he can't respond now.

Annabeth paled. "Can't respond? Why?" She had a bad feeling that suggested she already knew.

There was now a psychotic smile marring his translucent face. When you kill a man, he can't really answer your questions.

Yet another instance where Annabeth was right, but the first where she didn't want to be. She muffled a sob with her hands. "Oh my god," she said breathily. "P-Percy." No. You do not cry. Not here, not now. She straightened up and fixed Nico with a scathing glare.

"What. Did. You. Do?" She enunciated each word to make it clear that she wasn't fucking around.

Nico's wolfish, insane smile made her blood run cold. I'm damn tired of all of you thinking you can come into my home just because you think we're all dead and can't do anything. But I can do whatever I want, including letting this Percy character know exactly what I think about his presence in the di Angelo home. And now, I'm going to let you know. He raised his arms, and Annabeth was thrown against the wall.

The others gave shouts of protest, but were quickly silenced by getting slammed to the floor. Annabeth stumbled to her feet and nearly shrieked in terror at the blood trickling down Grover's forehead and the way Piper was sprawled across the floor. Her wild eyes flitted back to Nico. He chuckled and the evil inside of it seemed to reverberate through her. He waved his hand at her friends dismissively.

Leo screamed as his eyes burst open.

Annabeth did shriek this time. The contents of Leo's eyes were splattered on her bedroom wall. He clawed at his face as he continued screaming. Annabeth couldn't look at it. She wanted to throw up just from the sight. Instead, she set her eyes on Nico. "Please," she begged. "Stop it."

Nico stared at her for a moment as though he was thinking about it.

Mmm, no.

Without warning, a sickening snap sounded from Juniper. Annabeth couldn't look away as Juniper's head slowly ripped away from the rest of her body, eventually just dangling backward by her spinal cord. Oh my god, thought Annabeth. We're all going to die. This fucking psychotic kid is going to kill us.

The aforementioned psycho kid whipped his head around to glare at Annabeth with the fury of a thousand men. I am not psychotic! I am letting you know that NONE of you are welcome in my home or anywhere else! None of you…

Hazel cried out in terror and got up to run. She almost made it to the door when Nico made a fist and she dropped to the floor. Her body began convulsing and her mouth frothed. The bubbles soon turned a rich red and blood came spurting out of Hazel's mouth. Her frightened eyes turned to Annabeth. She went to say something, but her eyes went dead and the blood stopped coming out.

Annabeth was the only one left.

She looked at Nico fearfully. She wanted to ask What now? What more can you do, you hellish demon?

The ghost boy gave a shadowy smile. Annabeth began to feel hot. That was strange; her room was always kept cold.

Suddenly, Nico began to sing in an innocent, childish voice.

Twinkle, twinkle, little star

How I wonder what you are

Up above the world so high

Like a diamond in the sky

It felt like Annabeth was naked under a desert sun.

When the blazing sun is gone

When the nothing shines upon

Then you show your little light

Twinkle, twinkle, all the night

She swore she could see steam rising off her skin.

Then the traveler in the dark

Thanks you for your little spark

He could not see which way to go

If you did not twinkle so

She smelled burning flesh. Oh god, he was setting her on fire. The smell was coming from her.

When the blazing sun is gone

Black spots swam in and out of her vision.

When the nothing shines upon

Smoke filled her senses.

Though I know not what you are

She knew what she was: dead. A column of fire and pain.

Twinkle,

There was that awful smile on Nico's face.

twinkle,

Her skin was blackening right before her eyes.

little

She was about to explode. Pieces of her were going to paint her walls like Leo's eyes.

star

Annabeth burned.