(Discontinued) The Light At The End of The Tunnel - Solangelo (Percy Jackson)

Part 24

Nico's POV

Once we got to cabin 13, I immediately flopped down onto the bed, curling up against the blankets. Will chuckled and sat down next to me. I felt a wave of tiredness sweep over me. Will laid down next to me, he put his arm under my neck.

I smiled sightly and buried myself into his side. I closed my eyes. I felt Will wrap his arm around my shoulders as I started to dose off. As I drifted to sleep I drifted into another dream.

No one's POV

"Niccolò!" Nico's mother called after him.

Nico turned around to face his mother, her fair olive skin and her long black hair resembled his own.

"Come on Nico," Bianca said smoothly as she took him by the hand.

Nico smiled as he squeezed his sister's hand. They walked back to their mother, hand in hand. Nico gave his mom a toothy smile. He had just lost his first front tooth and he was excited to have his grown up tooth grow in.

Maria smiled warmly at her son. She took his gloved hand and started to walk back home.

"Can we have ice cream when we get home?" Nico asked as he skipped beside her.

Maria gave him a sad smile, "Niccolò, you know we don't have any."

"Well can we get some?" He asked.

Maria shook her head, "no, I'm sorry Niccolò."

Nico frowned he hadn't had anything sweet in so long. He'd almost forgotten what cake tasted like. His mom said it was just because of money but Nico knew it was more than that.

"I'm sorry Mama." He mumbled.

Maria gave him a warm smile, she fixed his aviator's jacket. It was way too big on him but he didn't want to wear anything else. His mother said it was special, just like him. She picked up the small boy.

"Don't worry Niccolò, when we get enough money, we'll buy as much ice cream as you want. Okay?" She pressed her forehead against the small boy's forehead.

Nico smiled at that idea. "Yeah!"

Nico squirmed out of his mother's arms. He looked at his sister. "Come on Bianca! I'll race you home!" He challenged.

Bianca fixed her floppy green hat on her and buttoned up her green coat more since it was chilly outside. With winter just rolling in, Maria immediately wrapped them up in warm clothes.

Bianca and Maria had the same coat on. A green, button up without a hood. Just Maria's was bigger. Maria also had on a grey hat instead of a green one. Bianca looked like a splitting image of her mother.

"You're on!" She said as they raced down the cracked sidewalk.

Nico ran down the sidewalk as to they raced. After a while Bianca won as she bounded up to the old house.

"No fair! You have longer legs." Nico complained.

"Don't be such a sore loser." Bianca teased.

Nico huffed and crossed his arms. They waited on the front porch. Nico traced his finger over the cracks in the cement steps. Maria walked up to them.

"So who won this time?" She asked her children.

"Me!" Bianca boasted.

Nico huffed as his mother unlocked the door. They walked into the old house. Maria had said the house was built when Italy first became a nation. Nico thought that was cool, him and Bianca also thought the place was haunted.

But Nico wasn't scared of the paranormal. He found it fascinating and always tried to catch the spirits. Bianca told him he couldn't catch a ghost, they would just go through whatever trap he'd made. But that never stopped him from making them.

The living room was small, just like the rest of the house. There was a small, beat-up couch next to a table filled with coloring books, books, and crayons.

In the corner of the room was a small toy box with figurines scattered around the brown rug the toy box was on. Nico went over to the toy box. He sat down on the after he took his worn boots off.

Their mom went into the kitchen to make them something to eat for dinner.

"Come here, Bianca! Come play with me." Nico called.

Bianca smiled at her younger brother and took off her shoes before going onto the rug. It was a rule to not wear your shoes on the rug or carpet. Nico never really understood why, but, his mom said it would ruin the carpet.

Bianca took a coloring book from the table next to the couch and a box of crayons. "That's not playing!" Nico protested.

Bianca sighed, "come on Nico I'm too old to be playing with toys."

Nico crossed his arms, "you're only 8. You aren't too old to play with toys. And they're not toys, they're better than toys!"

Bianca picked up a toy soldier. "Looks like a toy to me."

Nico stuck his tongue out at her. Bianca smiled and sighed, "fine." She groaned.

Nico smiled. The two played with the army men and after a while, they switched over to the coloring books.

There was a loud crash from upstairs. Nico looked up and frowned. "What was that?"

"I don't know.." Bianca got up and started up the stairs.

"Don't go upstairs!" Maria cried.

Nico looked over to see his mother in the doorway. Her expression was said it all. Bianca looked at her and backed away from the stairs.

"Get your coats and shoes on," Maria ordered.

Nico got up, this happened sometimes. Something weird happened. He didn't know why, but it did. His mother was scared of something, and it was hard to scare Maria di Angelo.

Bianca put her shoes on and coat on. She helped Nico put on his boots on. There was another crash upstairs followed by a loud roar. Maria took her children by their hands and raced out of the house. Nico's ears cracked as another ear-splitting roar filled the air. Their feet pounded down the pavement.

Nico looked back for a second to see a terrifying sight.

Author's Notes: Finished! I hope you liked this chapter. I don't know why it took so long.