Welcome to Astral, AK

by Drew Campbell

A 6am alarm startled 24-year-old Jeremy Sutton awake, just as it did nearly every morning.  He slowly rolled out of his childhood bed and groggily searched for his laptop.  Though he typically only worked 2-3 days a week at a sandwich shop, he woke up early every morning to check for available shifts.  Today, he was lucky and was able to snag an opening shift from his smug coworker, Matvey, who was “recovering” from a weekend rave.  Though the minimum wage would get Jeremy’s parents off his back, or allow him to finally afford his own place, he felt a miniscule amount of happiness as he prepared for the day.

When he arrived at the restaurant, the manager had just finished the daily assignment sheet.  The smidgen of joy in Jeremy was quickly snuffed out as he found himself on cashier duty.  This was the worst role for a self-proclaimed introvert, and he felt dealing with the picky, or even absent-minded customers was damaging to his own mental health.  But regardless of his repulsive feelings towards the job, somehow the management team thought he was gifted at customer service.  So, Jeremy swallowed his irritation and prepped his mind for the next few hours of lunacy. 

His brief meditation ritual he would often use to get himself through the day was quickly interrupted…  The manager on duty that day was Dick Hoy, and he had a knack for saying just the right thing to completely piss Jeremy off.

“Hey Jeremy,” Dick said.  “You’ve been doing a great job lately, but I have noticed that you have a little bit of trouble with sticking to the script when taking orders.  Remember to hit those up-sale questions so corporate knows we’re doing our best.  And you know we’re competing with the store from Blairwood for the Top Shop Award.”

Jeremy listened with a blank stare, while thinking to himself, “I have a feeling that today is going to suck…”

As the lunch rush propelled with no consideration for the employees, Jeremy took the assault head on as the sole front of house representative.  Everything was falling in line with the usual amount of stupidity.  He already had his hands full between customers taking forever to decide what they want and holding up the line, then cleaning up all the huge messes in the dining room–all while having to hear the snappy remarks from the very people he was there to serve.

Suddenly the room seemed to go quiet as a man walked through the door.  The sounds of a busy restaurant then mutated into a sort of silent, cheerful praise.  Jeremy was confused as to exactly who this guy was, and why everyone seemed so mesmerized by his entrance.  But he proceeded like he would with any other person who walked into the shop.

Before Jeremy could conjure the first question on corporate’s precious script, the man barked, “Roast beef club.  Extra yellow peppers.  No cheese, no lettuce.  And nothing else!”

Jeremy glanced over at Dick Hoy, who was eagerly mouthing the irritating phrase, “Stick. To. The. Script.”

Hesitantly, Jeremy obeyed.  “Alright, sir.  Would you like to make that a combo with chips and a drink for an extra $4.50?”

“I said no!”

“Alright, could I possibly interest you in a box of cookies, or a pickle?”

“Are you stupid or something?!”  The man yelled.  “I just told you twice already, I just want my sandwich!”

“Are you a rewards member?”

“What is the matter with you?!  Did you not hear me?  Just give me what I want before I smack you right off the spectrum!”

Jeremy looked over at Dick again, who was motioning him to continue.  So against his better judgment, he resumed dealing out the corporate pestering.  “Would you like to sign up for the program, sir?  It’s completely free and only takes about 10 min-.”  Jeremy stopped mid-sentence and lifted the P.O.S. screen in front of his face to block an attempted slap from the arrogant man. 

The customer cried out, “Ahhh!  My hand!  This guy broke my hand!”

The next half hour passed like a blur of alternating hues, and soon Jeremy found himself sitting in Dick Hoy’s office listening to a pointless lecture. 

“Jeremy, I don’t think you understand the severity of this incident, and who it was that you assaulted.”  Dick said.

“I assaulted?”  Jeremy mocked.  “That guy was taking a swing at me.  If anything, his injury is a consequence of his own idiotic choices, and he should be the one paying to replace the P.O.S., not me.”

“You cannot lash out at customers, Jeremy.  No matter how difficult they are.  Try to comprehend that.”  Dick continued.  “Coach Gohard is a very respected member of the community.  He is directly responsible for the High School Basketball Team’s 5-consecutive regional championship victories.”

“So that grants him a permit to treat people like garbage when they are just trying to do their job?”  Jeremy questioned.

“I know this situation is a little bit beyond your ability to understand, so, unfortunately Jeremy, I am forced to let you go.  You will receive your termination paperwork and bill for the damaged property by mail.”

The remainder of the conversation faded into autopilot.  Eventually Jeremy came back to reality and found himself wandering through a nearby park.  He must have subconsciously decided to avoid going home right away.  After the scolding from his annoying former boss, the last thing Jeremy wanted was to have to deal with his parents after they found out he lost his job.  He soon came to a bench in the middle of the park and sat down.  While staring enviously at a squirrel who had collected an abundance of food, Jeremy caught another movement through his peripheral sight.  He turned his head and realized a fire had started in the grass several feet away from him.  It was still small enough to be managed, so he wasted no time before running over to put it out.  After stamping out the flames to a light smolder, he noticed something truly strange.  A perfect, unsinged sheet of paper rested on the grass in the exact spot where the fire had been.  It was a flier that read clearly:

“Come to ASTRAL, ALASKA.

Live here.  Work here.  Enjoy life.”

Then listed an address and website above the words

“APPLY NOW.”

If Jeremy had come across this advertisement any other day, he would have likely ignored it.  But today brought him to a new point of desperation that called for solutions outside of the ordinary.  He quickly grabbed the paper and began heading home.  

Several weeks later, after extensive research and a series of phone interviews, Jeremy found himself on a small plane descending toward an Alaskan runway.  A large van that bore the logo of the company he would be working for awaited his arrival, along with a representative from the property.  The employee approached Jeremy with a greeting and an introduction. 

“Hi there.  You must be Jeremy Sutton.”  The man said as he reached out for a handshake.  “My name is Carl Tonski.  I’m the bell captain from the lodge.”

“Bell captain?” Jeremy asked.  “Then you must be my boss.  I was hired as a bellman.”

“That’s right.  We have quite a drive ahead of us, so I can tell you what we do along the way.”

After several hours of driving through winding mountain roads, they finally came to a small turnout off the main highway.  They ascended up a large hill until reaching a clearing in the trees.  At the end of a long driveway, they could see the lodge.  It was an old red building with rusted signs adorning the entrance.  Carl continued driving, passing the hotel, and heading onto a small road leading through the forest. 

“Where are we going?”  Jeremy inquired. 

“This is the trail to employee housing.”  Carl answered.  “When I was first hired, the owner told me that the housing facility also used to be a lodge, years ago.  Before the big one opened in 1970.”

Soon they arrived at a small, motel style building sitting in the middle of the woods. 

“I have to go gas up the van before I return it to the lot.  But take this…”  Carl said as he handed Jeremy a bronze key on a blue lanyard.  “You’re in Room A16.  Everything you need is in there already.  Go get some rest.  Breakfast will be served in the basement of the main lodge from 7-8am.  Then there will be an employee orientation afterwards.  I’ll see you there.”

At breakfast the next morning, Jeremy finally saw some of the other employees.  Everyone seemed to already know each other, and none of them thought to greet the newcomer, so he found a nice table for one in the corner of the dining hall. 

As he finished his plate of flavorless scrambled eggs and overcooked bacon, Carl poked his head into the room. 

“Hey, Jeremy.  Come upstairs with me.”

After putting his dishes in a bus tub, Jeremy followed Carl into a service elevator.  When they reached the ground floor of the lodge, the doors slowly slid open, and Jeremy’s eyes were hit immediately with a harsh blast of red, green, and silver.  The entire interior was decorated for the Christmas season.  Jeremy thought this was very odd, considering it was early May. 

Carl led them into a large restaurant dining room with chairs set up auditorium style.  “Have a seat here.  I need to go help move a supply delivery.”  Carl said as he pointed to a chair in the front row.

As more employees filed in and took their seats, a thin, bald man appeared at the front of the room.  Jeremy remembered Carl mentioning a man matching this description on their drive the previous day.  This had to be Duke Davidson, owner of the lodge, and grandson of the property’s founder. 

“Alright everyone, quiet down now.”  Mr. Davidson politely commanded.  “As you know, the lodge will open, and begin welcoming guests in exactly five days.  We have a lot to go over and prepare in that time.”

Although the returning employees were no longer chatting, they still did not seem to be listening to the man. 

“I know all of you here know the drill,” Mr. Davidson continued.  “But please join me in welcoming a new employee.  This is Mr. Jeremy Sutton, from California.”

“Woohoo! Welcome, Jeremy!”  One voice yelled out from the silence.

Jeremy looked towards the back of the room and saw a large pallet of toiletries on a hand-operated forklift.  Carl’s head popped out from behind the large stack of supplies, and the bell captain gave a supporting clap before continuing to move the pallet.  

Two weeks went by as Jeremy became familiar with the property and his new job duties, under Carl’s mentorship. 

It was a cool, breezy afternoon, and the two bellmen unloaded guest luggage from an arriving motorcoach.  After stuffing the service elevator with two full bell carts, they rode it up to the 2nd floor.  One by one, Jeremy delivered the suitcases to the appropriate locations, and was greeted by each guest with a sincere “thank you”, and a generous tip. 

Though this was Jeremy’s first hotel job, he was previously under the impression that guests were typically on the fussier side.  But for some reason he had yet to experience these negative aspects often expected in the hospitality industry.  Jeremy considered something both Carl and Mr. Davidson had mentioned previously; apparently, this particular location was a type of spiritual destination for some.  People would visit here from all over the world to venture through the vast woods in search of enlightenment.  This was the main focus of their trip, which meant they paid little mind to other amenities.  As long as they had a bed and a working toilet, most of them never needed a thing.

That night, Jeremy followed a large gathering of his coworkers to an outlook behind employee housing.  Though none of them had even acknowledged Jeremy’s existence throughout the past two weeks, he tagged along because it had been a dream of his to experience seeing the northern lights.   

He had tried to convince Carl to go with him, but something was off about the bell captain that night.  Jeremy stopped by his dorm before heading out, and he heard Carl having a loud argument.  Although he could hear two distinct sides of the disagreement, it seemed that both voices belonged to Carl.  Figuring his normally level-headed boss must be drunk, Jeremy just decided to go alone.

At the outlook, he sat by himself on the edge of the tree line.  As the group of employees waited for the natural light show to begin, Jeremy overheard several job-related conversations.  The servers and bartenders were complaining about the shallow customers under-tipping, while the cooks trashed the entire front of house staff with stories of their incompetence. 

In another part of the crowd sat several housekeepers who were voicing their dread for the upcoming departure day.  They stressed themselves about the number of rooms they would have to overturn before the next set of guests arrived later that same day.  Jeremy also heard them blaming the laundry department for the slow rate of progress, claiming that they can’t make fresh beds until the laundry staff finishes washing the sheets.

Jeremy thought to himself, “Why would they be this self-obsessed and angry about their jobs while off the clock, when they live in a place as wonderful as this?”  Maybe returning here every summer has caused the magic of it to diminish.  Regardless of what the answer was, Jeremy was not going to allow his first viewing of the Aurora Borealis be tainted by the negativity.  Afterall, in a way, he himself was also a guest of the lodge.  This was a summer he intended to enjoy.

He stepped out into the woods and walked through the trees for nearly a hundred feet, until he found a large boulder in the ground.  He took a seat upon the stone and waited for the show to start.  As he stared up at the blank sky, he began to notice subtle movements dance across like a light smoke in a breeze, until the illusions finally ignited.  The lights flared so brightly, with an array of colors, they looked as if they had singed the very air.  Jeremy’s eyes felt a sort of blissful blindness as he bathed in the beauty of a sky on fire.  The unintelligible chatter he could still hear in the distance soon faded into a calming silence.  Jeremy savored each moment so intimately, it seemed to last for days.  Eventually, the solar flares calmed back down to an empty sky.  He took a few moments to process the experience before standing up to walk back to his dorm. 

Though he knew he did not venture too far into the forest, Jeremy was somehow unable to find his way out.  After wandering around for what must have been hours, he eventually came to a small shack with animal skins hanging all over the outside.  A large oil drum sat on its side in front of the structure.  Jeremy approached the shack to see if there was anyone inside he could ask for help.  As he stepped closer, he was startled by the sudden sound of the oil drum being struck with a blunt object.  But no one was there except him…  The large metal canister made that noise completely on its own.  Jeremy became frightened, and immediately distanced himself from the shack. 

Though he was still hopelessly lost, he took comfort in the fact that summer daylight shone for nearly 20 hours out of the day, so he would not have to wander around in darkness.  Riddled with anxiety, he sat to take a break on what was possibly the same rock he watched the northern lights from the night before.  Jeremy closed his eyes for a moment and thought hard about how he just wanted to be back in his dorm, sleeping. 

All of a sudden, the sounds of sawing logs woke him from a restless slumber.  Like magic, he was laying down in his dorm room, having apparently woken up from a nightmare that felt too real.  He stood up from his bed thinking if he just went about his day like normal, it would shake the unsettled feelings from his mind.  But as he stepped out onto the deck outside his room, the sight he saw caused him even more distress. 

The grounds were covered by at least twice as many trees as he remembered, and several woodsman-type men wandered around carrying large quantities of lumber. 

“Hello there.  You must be new here.”  A voice said from behind.

As Jeremy turned toward the stranger, he realized that he actually recognized this man.  He had seen his face in a portrait that hung in the lodge.

“I’m sorry, sir, but…”  Jeremy muttered.  “Is your name, Thaddeus Davidson?”

“That’s me!”  the stocky, bearded man said proudly.  “And who may you be, youngster?”

“Jeremy Sutton…  I work for…”  he hesitated for a moment under a thick cloud of impossibilities.  “I’m sorry, sir, but what are these men helping you with?”

“We’re constructing a new lodge. Bigger and better.”  Thaddeus answered with certainty.  “Business has been outstanding, and our humble little building can’t handle the high demands much longer.  So, I wanted to expand.  Hopefully one day even leave it to my son, or grandkids.”

The man explained his plans as he unrolled a series of blueprints showing the designs for a building that Jeremy had become very familiar with. 

“We are also working out ways to refurbish the original lodge and convert it into staff quarters.”  Thaddeus continued.  “You see, I have a dream that one day we can offer summer jobs for people to have the opportunity to come up and experience the Alaskan wilderness, and even gain some great work experience.”

“That is…a very admirable goal, sir.  I’m sure that those who choose that path will be incredibly grateful to have it as an option,”  Jeremy said with puzzled sincerity.  “It was a great honor to meet you, sir.  But if you’ll excuse me…”  he said nervously, before running off into the forest. 

“Weird kid…”  Thaddeus said before returning to his work.

Jeremy sprinted as far away from the workers as possible.  His overwhelmed brain cobbled together a flimsy hypothesis as he tried desperately to process what was happening to him.  “I got lost in the woods and somehow, ended up going back in time to before the lodge was finished…”  He contemplated.  “It happened when I thought about being in my dorm room…  Maybe to get back, I just have to think really hard about being back at the lodge, working.”  He sat down between two birch trees and closed his eyes.  Jeremy shut out all other thoughts and focused on pushing a full bell cart down the long halls of the lodge.

After a few minutes of trying, nothing happened.  He was still sitting out in the middle of the woods in what must have been the late 1960s.  “Maybe last time I dozed off for a second, without realizing it…  It’s worth a try.”  Jeremy lowered his back onto the soil and breathed slowly.  He thought about how exhausted he was from being in the mess, and how much he would love to be back in the bell closet on a slow day, sketching comic strips that poked fun at his coworkers. 

When his eyes opened again, he was exactly where he wanted to be.  Jeremy stepped outside the bell closet beneath the main staircase of the hotel lobby.  Immediately, he noticed that while this was the lodge, something was not quite right.  The out-of-season Christmas decorations were missing, and in their place were taxidermy bears, moose racks, and a sizable collection of pelts and replicas of old-fashioned hunter gear.  There was no way Mr. Davidson would ever allow the place to look this way. 

“When is this?  And who is in charge?”  Jeremy asked himself.  His thoughts were soon interrupted by a large crowd of people descending the stairs from the mezzanine above.  He quickly moved so he could observe without being seen. 

It seemed that the group was made up of guests who were on a tour of the property.  They were being led by someone that seemed even more familiar than Thaddeus.  It was difficult for Jeremy to see the man’s face from the distance he was at, but something about his body language was recognizable.  After struggling to get a better view, he suddenly remembered the portrait wall that included photos of Thaddeus, Duke, and Duke’s father.  This would be the perfect place to find out who this guy was. 

The lodge had quite obviously gone through some renovations, so it took Jeremy a few extra minutes to find what he was looking for.  But eventually, he did.  The portrait of the new owner hung upon the wall like a reflection.  Jeremy stared into familiar eyes for several moments before turning his head to read the plaque beside the photo.  The story that it told had now come to be the most surreal part of Jeremy’s journey through time.

“JEREMY SUTTON, Born 1990, began his career in hospitality during the summer of 2014, at the age of 24.  He worked tirelessly as a bellman and returned to the same position for the following 2 seasons.

In 2017, he was offered the title of Bell Captain and continued his dedication to outstanding guest service.  By 2020, Jeremy had worked out an arrangement with then owner, Duke Davidson, for a year-round position helping to maintain the facility during the long off seasons. 

In the winter of 2029, Davidson sadly departed from our world and, having no children of his own, willed the establishment to Jeremy Sutton. 

Mr. Sutton kept the lodge running independently until 2040.  By that time the conditions of the planet had been altered so the property could safely welcome guests on a year-round basis.  Jeremy then decided to partner with the ForGodden Corporation to continue the hotel’s great legacy.”

Jeremy felt an uneasy tension in his gut.  It was disorienting to read stories of your own future in that way.  After having settled his nerves, Jeremy began to wonder about this mysterious “ForGodden Corporation”.  He searched for the nearest exit and went outside.  But he soon found his mind in even greater turmoil.

The exterior of the lodge now bore a shiny silver coat.  It stood out on a vast hill of cement and gravel.  The tree line had receded so far that it looked as if it were several miles away.  Everything had changed to the point where Jeremy no longer recognized it.  He didn’t like what had happened to this place and felt even more angry that he knew himself was partially to blame. 

Jeremy began walking along the road that led down the mountain.  It would be a long trek to the edge of the forest, but he now had a duty to go back.  Being armed with the knowledge of a grim outcome before it comes to pass was a powerful tool.  Jeremy reminded himself of this responsibility and set out to do what he could to preserve the past, and hopefully fix the future.