Jason A. Adams’ “The End of the Rainbow” appears in Small Gods, book 6 in the Blaze Ward Presents anthology series.

Excerpt

When the world stopped spinning, Andrew pulled his britches up over his still-sodden tush, face flaming as dozens of strange…people…stared at him. Most were vaguely human, in that the right number of limbs were in the right places, but none looked exactly normal.

“Welcome to your new home, my boy,” Leary said. “Luchorpán Limited. Purveyor of the finest entertainments.”

Andrew gawped around. The room looked exactly like his old duty officer’s building back in Camp Lejeune. Industrial tile on the floor, bland white walls, lumpy chairs and couches.

The occupants, though…

Tiny girl-shaped things with dragonfly wings buzzed around, most carrying folders or stacks of papers. Taller beings with wizened old faces like shrunken apple heads stood around a water cooler drinking brownish liquid. A strange thing with one leg and one arm came hopping up and gave Leary what looked like a pile of invoices. Along the far wall, a row of offices marched. Through their glass walls, Andrew could see other bearded leprechauns like Leary. Things he couldn’t describe skipped by, the only recognizable bit the red caps that looked like some sort of uniform.

“What…who…” He gave up and tried again. “Are you people for real?”

“Real as rain,” Leary said. He marched Andrew to the largest office in the corner, signaling to a huge man-shaped brute with the right number of eyes in the wrong places. One was nearly in the center of the low forehead; the other, larger eye drifted close to a drooping ear. Its mouth hung open, flabby lips almost touching the hairy chest. Teeth filled its mouth. Big teeth.

—from “The End of the Rainbow” by Jason A. Adams

The Interview

Which god(s) did you write about in your story, and why?

For my story “Under the Rainbow,” I wrote more about demi-gods. The mythological beings from a few different cultures. Leprechauns, yakshini, djinn, and so on. I chose these because they’re fun to play around with. If you look at such beings (and capital-g Gods) through the lens of the cultures that came up with them, they always reflect exaggerated aspects of that particular society. So what would they be like in the modern day and age? That’s the sort of what-if I love to dig into.

What are you working on now, and what’s fun about what you’re writing?

My most recent story was a fun one about astronomers a few years down the road hunting for a certain space sedan that went missing. I’m not writing anything at the moment, and can’t say what I’ll write next. I never really know until I sit down and get started.

You’ve recently become a member of the Uncollected Anthology, a writing collective. Can you give us a sneak peak at what you’re writing for the next issue?

It’ll be something in the historical urban fantasy arena. I’m thinking I might play with a Western for this one.

Anything you’d like to share with the readers, promotional or otherwise?

We’ll be seeing more of Andrew, Leary, Seema, and the others in the near future. Grab a shot of the Water of Life, get your dancing shoes on, and stay tuned for more!

About Jason A. Adams

Jason, a recovering Air Force brat who grew up all over the US and Japan, now perches in the mountains of Southwest Virginia with his beautiful wife Kari Kilgore, a few spoiled rotten house critters, and assorted wild visitors from the nearby forest. He writes across the spectrum. His stories include science fiction, fantasy, horror, Appalachian folk tales, romance, and other genres. Often blended together.

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