HP 24 Montauk Man 7, Chris

Elijah must have realized the impact his story had on me for he looked at me with compassion and did not say another word. He got up off his chair extended his bony hand to me and embraced me. I stood there holding this scraggly beleaguered old man with smokey stained hair. He was gaunt and his clothing hung on him like drapery, I felt sorry for him. He reminded me of the ghost of a prospector that just stepped out of a diamond mine. I handed Elijah all the money I had in my wallet and told him to take good care of himself and said good bye.  I had no idea if I'd ever see him again and gave him one last wave goodbye. I didn't have much time to feel sorry for Elijah as the cold snapped me to attention. I had no idea what I was going to do next- I had no place to go to,  no one to turn to and no belongings to call my own-they were all left at the Manor.  I still had my credit card but that did me no good at the moment. I walked around trying to find a cab to take me to the nearest hotel when I caught sight of the Montauk Tower. I noticed that same light on the third floor, the only light on in the whole tower except for the ground floor. I sat down on a bench in the village green mesmerized with the possibility "he" may be in there or that my damsel in distress was in need of rescuing. I decided to hunker down for a chilly stake out. I'm not going to last long I thought, it being so cold out here but I just couldn't leave. Little did I know the weather was the least of my worries. A few minutes after I sat down a group of young thugs about 5 to 7 of them some drinking beer, smoking and whooping it up happened upon me. They came over and started asking questions, bogus small talk which quickly turned into taunting. The ring leader led the way : "Well, well what do we have here? You lost bro?" He grabbed me by my coat and tossed me over to another hoodlum who then tossed me over to giggling punk who tossed me to the ground. The ring leader spoke up once again " You like soccer bro? Make like a ball !" As he went to kick me I grabbed his leg and tripped him up. His other friends were stunned and rushed over waiting for his instructions. The ring leader got back up and said "You're gonna get it!"  Just at that moment I heard a familiar voice, well more like a scream; "Stop, I know this dude!, Come on guys, leave him alone!" It was Chris, the surfer dude from the Motel Montauk. He bent down and spoke; "Hey Mister, you remember me? It's Chris from the Motel!" "Chris help me up, please..." Chris extended his hand and helped me up. The ring leader looked at me pointed his finger in my chest and said, "You got lucky bro!" "Leave him be Red.....he's a friend" He looked at Chris, "You're my bro and I'll let this one slide, but he better be careful- next time I see him he ain't gonna be so lucky-see you on the waves bro..." With that he signaled his posse to move, and on they left. Chris stayed behind.

"DUDE, that was a close one, if I hadn't have been here....what are you doing out here anyway? Don't you know it's freezing? No offense Hombre but you look like one of those creepy dudes just hanging around...Red doesn't take to vagrants, he thinks he owns the town." " Chris, thanks for what you did but I need a place to stay, and some coffee to warm me up. Can you take me back to the Montauk?" "No can do but you can crash with me if you like, it's not much but at least you won't die out here...by the way did you get to visit the lighthouse like I told you?" I looked at him and grinned, Chris was perplexed, "What I'd say?"

I followed Chris to an old beach cottage not far from the Tower. It was dark and I couldn't see much but the place was small, very old, and very tired. We walked in through a yellow door covered in hippy style bumper stickers and there we were in surfer dudes lair. Surf boards were everywhere, empty beer cans, first aid kits and especially clothing all strewn about. "Excuse the mess dude, find a spot and I'll talk to you in the morning..." "Thanks Chris. Thanks for everything. I hope I'm not putting you out..." "Naw, relax. Sorry I have no coffee. See Youuu Mon-ya-nah..." I found a spot on an old sofa and fell fast asleep.

 I woke up to the sound of waves crashing on the beach.  I sat up rubbed the sand out of my eyes and went over to a sliding glass door and saw it; that big grey imposing ocean. I stepped outside and had a good look at the cottage which was nestled between dunes, mere feet from the mighty Atlantic. I wondered how this ramshackle survived all the storms and was never washed away, and how and who built this place long before you would ever be allowed to build something like this these days especially on the dunes. I turned back to the ocean,  it was a beautiful site to see, gray clouds moving out, salt spray and mist, sea shells, drift wood and miles of sand and sea filled my view. That's when I saw Chris in his wet suit, matted long blond hair sitting Indian style with his surf board nearby. I walked over to him.  "Good morning Chris" "Oh you're up!" "Yes, and you're up early too I see...." "The waves dude, the waves..." I was starting to understand that surfing wasn't a "thing" or a hobby but like a religion to these guys. People like Chris would do anything to catch a good wave it seemed. I sat down near Chris. "I want to thank you once again for helping me out last night and giving me a place to stay, that was real nice of you" "No problemmo".  "Is this your place, I mean the cottage?" "No it belongs to my uncle" "Where's your uncle, is he here?" "Let's just say he's on a vacation, yeah, a vacation" "Your friend back there, Red is his name? What's his story? He looks like a real bully..." "Aw, don't worry about Red, he ain't bad. I mean he can be a real ahole  at times but that's only because his dad is a real jerk, thinks he owns the town. I suppose Red learned from dad" " What's his name, the dads name that is?" "Marcus. You know him?" "Sort of." "If you know know Marcus you know trouble....I bet you're in trouble" "I'll tell you all about it. But first let me treat you to breakfast" "If you're buying dude!" "It's the least I could do"

We went into town and on Chris's suggestion to the coffee shop, I think the same one I found earlier that led me to Marcus. We were seated in a booth in front of a large plate glass window, the Montauk Tower was in sight. "Chris, order anything you want." He flung his long blond hair aside, "Dude you have no idea what you're getting into, I'll bankrupt you!" With that Chris proceeded to order everything on the menu, although skinny as a 2 by 4 he must have had the metabolism of a cheetah ordering 3 breakfast combos. We sat there eating our food, Chris too busy to say a word stuffing his face. "Chris, tell me about the Motel Montauk" "It's a pay check" " Funny thing happened to me while I was there, maybe you can help me out and understand it" "Sure" "You checked me in, right?" "Right" "But you didn't check me out. In fact when I asked for you they said no body of your description works there..." "Dude I have no idea who told you that but I have been working at the Montauk for ever! At least 6 months!" "Sorry Chris. I didn't mean to question you like that. It's that, ever since my stay at the Montauk weird and strange things have been happening to me, things I can't explain. It all started at the Montauk. Well it actually started before my stay at the Montauk at the lighthouse but I'll save that story for later. When I asked for you, some older butler type pretended to know me and have checked me in when we both know he didn't. And get this he even asked,  "Did you visit the lighthouse like I suggested?" " "No way man! That's my line! I'll kill him!" "Yes Chris. He even claimed he didn't know you and then asked me to check out of the Montauk"  "Look dude, I have no idea who that impostor was but when I go back to work, there will be hell to pay if that dude is still around!"

"Chris, I didn't tell you the real reason I'm here in Montauk. Naturally I don't go around telling everyone I meet my business, you understand right?" "Yeah dude but now you got me curious, why are you here, should I be worried about you, I don't even know you..." "Don't worry, I'm not dangerous. I was rescued by a stranger right near the lighthouse and I'm looking for that stranger to thank him. Now don't think I'm crazy but I believe from what I have learned and seen that I was rescued by the legend" "Chris finally stopped eating and his ears perked up, "The Legend?"  "They call him the "Montauk Man"",  "Never heard of it. I've heard of the Montauk Monster but never the "Man". Dude if that's true that would be so cool! Can I meet him?" "Can I trust you Chris?" "Listen dude anything, anything, I'm solid, I want to help you find this dude. Who knows maybe he's a surfer!" "If you find him Chris let me know. Until then, I'll continue my search for the Montauk Man. What I haven't told you are the strange people I have met along the way starting with this mystery butler at the Montauk. He sent me to the Manor where I had the displeasure of meeting Devon but it's also the place where I think saw the "Man" for the first time, saving me from danger once again. I also had a run in with Marcus, well not exactly but I think he knows something about me and may have even mugged me. The oddest character I have met so far has to have been the the Colonel. This Colonel I first saw in the dining room of the Manor keeping tabs on a woman, the same woman I was trying to meet. This woman holds some kind of key for me. The Colonel must of caught wind of my interest in her and confronted me and I think drugged me, so I think-unless you believe in crazy stuff like time travel. I think I may be interfering with some kind of covert operation  he's involved in, I don't know. However the greatest pleasure I have had so far was the pleasure of meeting Montauks own, Elijah..."

"Chris you still with me...wake up!" "No dude I'm not asleep I'm a bit nervous for you-Dude what you just said can't be true.  I'm closing my eyes now and when I open them this had better be a bad dream...." "Chris you need to tell me what's going on right NOW! What part isn't true?"  "We can't talk here, let's head back to the cottage"

Stay tuned for part 8

Hamptons Portfolio 23 Montauk 6 The Legend

"Devon, I'm checking out", "Now?" "Yes now!" "I'm sorry could you come back in a few minutes my computer is acting up..." I could tell Devon was lying to me and he knew I knew. At that moment he looked over at a gentleman dressed in a suit, obviously some security type goon, and signaled him to come over. I quickly walked for the main door and made it outside. I looked around and saw a cab that was idling nearby. I ran to it.  I was opening the back door when I heard a lazy melancholy voice say, "I wouldn't get in there if I were you." I put my hand over my one good eye as a make-shift visor to get a better look at the owner of that voice. It was a moonless brutally cold night, and standing under a flickering yellow sodium light in a  pea coat, was a disheveled tall man.  He had patchy leathered skin, his hair was the color of Montauk beach sand, matted, and uncombed. In between flickers I noticed a welled healed scar across his face. His eyes were slits, almost Asian above high sharp cheek bones. Next to him on the ground was the security person that was chasing me, knocked out. I spoke to him; "Hello, is that you...? It must be you. I would like to talk to you" I closed the cab door and started towards him. He immediately turned the corner around the hotel and was out of sight. I followed him but he simply vanished, I called out; "Hello! PLEASE I NEED to talk to you!"  No answer. He was gone, damn it. I raced back towards the cab to question the driver. Sitting in the "Great White Taxi" was a man with a thin mustache, slicked back thinning greasy hair, racing the engine. He looked at me, winked his eye and said "I guess you don't need a ride this time," He then sped off.

 I sat on the parking lot curb, gasping and choking on the cold air, my adrenaline was in full gear, I needed to calm down.  I was still perplexed by what just happened. The Montauk Man saves me yet again, from what...Devon? The Colonel? The mystery lady? I was warned by the Colonel to leave Montauk. In my past life, before I was saved,  I would have ran by now. The fear would have been so great I would have left faster than you can say "adios" and a long time before things got this far. But I wasn't about to leave Montauk. This was a new life given to me by some stranger, and in this new life there was no place for fear and intimidation. I felt as if for the first time I was strong and not afraid. No, I would continue my adventure.

Enough thinking, it was freezing, and a few yards from me was a man on the floor- I had to move and get away from the Manor quickly. I decided to walk to the nearby train station and find a ride to the village. It's time to find Elijah and continue our talk but where could he be? The Rec center. I was dropped off in front of the Montauk Tower and began my search for the "Rec center". With a little asking around I found the dingy run down place on the outskirts of the village. The exterior was grayed cedar shingle siding, half of it worn to a nub by the ocean salt air and the other half ready to fall off. I opened the oily door stepped in and instantly felt the filth smack me in the face; it was like stepping into a human size cat litter box- it was dirty and mean and I started to itch just thinking about the creepy crawlers that must be lurking around. I spotted a woman folding laundry, cigarette dangling from here mouth, I approached her; "I'm looking for Elijah, can you tell me where I can find him?" "Yea, I'm looking for Santa Claus, beat it!" " Hey, I'm trying to be polite, I need to find Elijah" "Ain't  no one here by that name, now beat it!" That was rude. I left the center and went back into the village to the only other place he could possibly be: The pub.

I walked in and low and behold there was Elijah at the bar with another fellow connoisseur of the drink. "Elijah!" "Hey Mister,! It's you again! What happen to your eye, did Marcus find ya?"  " No Elijah, I got mugged after I left the bar..." "Would be the only mugging ever to occur in Montauk. Sorry friend but I warned ya, you should have left Montauk by now....next time it will be worse!" " Yes everyone keeps telling me that. By the way your home is the Rec center?" "Funny thing about that Mister" " Yes, I'll say, they never heard of you there" " Listen Mister, I come and go like the Montauk wind, ain't many people troubling themselves with an old man" " OK Elijah, I'm not here to judge, even if you're not being 100% square with me. I'm not leaving until I find out more about this Montauk Man, I think I may have seen him tonight-I need to find him. I can't stop now and other strange things have been happening to me, I need to figure this out", " Wow Mister, OK, I'll tell ya what I know. But first you need to buy me a drink."  I looked around settled in for the tale that was about to be told. I asked the bartender for a couple of whiskey sours, folded my arms and looked directly into Elijah's eyes and thus he began:

"Now I told ya about Montauk's sorrowful history but there's more to Montauk than just sorrow. Montauk is of 'another world'!  But before I tell ya about that, let me tell ya the tale that might explain something about the man you're looking for. Not many years ago, there once was this rich family, the McCallasters'. They lived over in East Hampton, the ritzy section, near the ocean.  It's a high class area surrounded by tall shrubbery- I guess they like to hide themselves away. Anyway, Brad McCallaster, the patriarch, came from humble origins, he wasn't a blue blood, that is, born into money and privilege. No, Brad was from right here, Montauk herself, son of a fisherman and a hard working family. His dad worked himself to the bone on that fishing boat of his, battling that remorseless sea to provide for his family. He literally paid in blood for his son's upbringing and education. He loved his son - too bad though he could never tell him, he just wasn't the 'touchy feely' type, old school I suppose. No, he showed his love through sacrifice, hard work and just being there for his kid; his son understood. Brad left Montauk, out into the world, went to a fine school and got educated. Because of his love for the ocean and his dad he also became an Olympic swimmer, actually competing in the Olympics herself! The world was his oyster! He eventually got a job in one of those big Wall Street firms, the ones that could finance a small country and became rich, rich as one of those sheikhs! Brad knew however that deep down inside he was a fisherman's son and he wasn't ashamed of it but he wanted more and got more. He was moving up in the world and the more he moved up the more he prospered. Although he never disparaged the working class that his dad came from he put on a big mask to fit in this new world he was moving into. He went to their parties and soirees made his connections and  that's where he met his wife. It was at one of those "Ball" parties, you know, only important people welcomed! There he saw her across the room and instantly fell in love with her, she was as pretty as a princess. Abbey was her name, short for Abigail. Her family were well to do, not exactly New England nobility coming from Greenwich Connecticut, but close enough. He courted her and eventually won her over and married her. They bought their summer home in the tall shrub section like I told you, and jumped right into high class living together as a couple. Brads' wife became a first class socialite of the Hampton's, you couldn't hold a party if you didn't invite her. Her life was all about status, only the first lady of this great land was more popular than her. Brad, well he did what any other husband of a socialite did, looked good, made money and joined the exclusive country club like all the other well to do folk. They kept moving up in the world of tall shrubbery, becoming members of exclusive golf clubs, rubbing elbows with movie stars and presidents, they had it all!  They eventually had three children, a decent marriage and of course the family pooch. Life couldn't get any better, that is until the Stock Market crash of 2008. Brad lost it all. I don't have to tell you what devastating consequences that would have on any family let alone one accustomed to the finer things in life. The wife took it the hardest. Unable to show her face at those glitzy gatherings, loosing memberships to those exclusive clubs and getting snubbed by her once so called friends, killed her, she fell apart, couldn't take it and fled! She moved back with her family, out of state, left her husband and sadly the kids which was more devastating than the money they had lost." I was completely taken in by Elijah's story and had noticed by this time the pub was clearing out. It was getting quit and only now I had noticed others had gathered around to hear  Elijah's tale. For how long they were there I couldn't say but I was like a fish on the line. I nodded to Elijah and he continued:

"Brad McCallaster tried to reconcile with his wife who he loved very much in spite of the phony life they had built but she wasn't about to have anything to do with a man who lost his standing in the community and especially one who was broke! He tried and tried to win her back. He wanted to put the family back together for the children's sake but to no avail, she'd have none of it. He started drinking, became a complete mess, and worse of all couldn't continue to take care of the kids on his own. One dark day he went to Montauk, his place of birth, parked his car at Camp Hero walked down to the beach. Sat there for a while, Indian style, got up then walked straight into that cold unforgiving water. His body washed up on shore, found a day or so later. It had been so cold his lifeless body and handsome self was still a sight to see. The papers ruled it an accident but an Olympic class swimmer doesn't just drown- it was no accident, Montauk took him." I sat there with goose bumps covering my body. The hair on the back of my neck stood up...."He drowned himself Elijah? " "Yes sir, he walked right into that water right near the lighthouse and never looked back. You OK Mister? You look like you just about seen a ghost. I didn't mean to scare you."  "I'm sorry Elijah, please go on. What about the kids, what happened to them?" "Ah, yes, here is the real tragedy of this tale. Those poor kids were passed back and forth among friends and family. Brad's dad by now had passed along with his mom so there was no one who really cared about those poor children. The oldest son took the news of his dads death the hardest. He was a kind hearted kid. Athletic himself, a tall handsome popular boy in school, he was known as the "protector' because he always came to the aid of other kids who would get bullied. He was a teenager at this point when the family fell apart and he up and disappeared." "How about the other kids you said there were three" "Yes, the daughter she's out there, just floating around like a cork on the sea. She grew up to be a real looker, wavy blond hair fine features with an athletic build; she could have been a model you know. She however stayed in the area, passing herself off to one rich playboy after another but never staying in one place for very long, always searching for something..." "Searching, you say...searching for what I'd like to know." "Good question Sonny, maybe for some explanation why the world is so cruel...." "And the last kid?" " Yes the youngest child. This is this the most curious thing, he actually benefited from this whole ugly tragedy. He was taken in by a family, a childless couple that had more money than god. Said to be related to the Rockefeller clan, the Averys'. However the Averys' were meaner than a ten headed snake, carpet bagger's they are! Mr Avery was extremely ruthlessness, a real devil of a man. Well anyway, they took in that youngest McCallaster, adopted him and claimed him as their own. They erased his history, his family, his identity and gave him a new one; he became one of them...cruel as could be"

"He took to the Avery's like a fish takes to water. The little tycoon acts like the governor, being driven around in that fancy gray car by a personal driver. He visits the stores and business's his folks own, firing people at will, teasing, demeaning them and treating everyone he meets like dirt. It's not a good thing to give so much power to a child-how the hell do they know how to use it? Some peoples dispositions are naturally evil or naturally good-In the case of the this young Avery the devil himself lives through him..." "Yes I know, like a real life Damien Omen", "Damien who..?" "Nothing old timer, where's he now?"  "He hasn't been seen lately. Heard he went to military school." "I may beg to differ Elijah. So you're telling me the older McCallaster kid is the Montauk Man?" "Not exactly Sonny. I don't know. Could be. What if the Montauk Man was really the Montauk Woman, or Montauk Devil....? In any case, this whole story I told you is just rumor, gossip, no one knows for sure not even me. Now, I need another drink.." The onlookers who had gathered dispersed as if a church mass had come to an end. I sat there not knowing what to do next - I just looked at Elijah and he sat there looking back at me.

End Part 6 Stay tuned for more.
Copyright Lewis Portal