Ant Colony

  “Beyond the Dream”             Some of the events of this installment of “Ant Colony” are based on true events surrounding the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The details of these events have been slightly altered to tell a new story and are in no way meant to reflect on Dr. King’s real-life character.             One late night on a rural Alabama road in 1959, Martin Luther King, Jr. rode in the backseat of a 1958 Lincoln Continental that belonged to his dear friend, Andrew Young. It was quite the fancy car for a colored man – some white folks wouldn’t think twice to assume he might have stolen it. But Andrew wasn’t that kind of man. Outside the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Andrew worked hard to earn his living, and he earned his place behind the wheel of his Lincoln.             Tagging along ...

  “Shadow Boxer”             Tony Hiller hadn’t stepped into the ring yet, and he already worked up quite a sweat. Before every match, he always practiced by boxing with his shadow. It was an unorthodox method of training, but it was more than his actual trainer – Mike – ever made him do. While Tony shadow-boxed, Mike just sat plumped on a chair (two sizes too small for his wide, gelatinous frame), eating the fattest sub sandwich.             “Do you have to eat that right here, right now?” Tony belittled him, not missing a step.             “Hey,” Mike said with a mouthful of sub. “You just focus on the fight.”             Tony shook his head in disgust. Not once in the last eight years had he won a single match. His was currently at 20 losses and 0 wins, a...

  “Dream Burger” New Jersey, 1989             The “Kettle & Pot” diner had been running for three years near the turnpike. Its proprietors were the Kettleman siblings – Greg, a slightly overweight cook and the oldest; Andrew – the middle child, fit and handsome; and Debbie – the youngest, a lethargic yet attractive blond. Together, they invested a lot into the diner, but it had seen better days in its third year of service, with the wallpaper peeling off, gunk on the tables, and the leather cracking off the seats. They were losing more and more customers by the day. Regardless, they continued putting in the work.             Well, Greg and Andrew did, at least. They made what they assumed to be their final investment with an automatic grinder. The UPS delivery boy left it outside the diner for the brothers to wheel in on a hand truck, while Debbie sat at the back ...