Tisashky River Gated Community

In this utopian society, can one mother pull it together or will she be exiled forever?

The Alaskan tundras were too cold for the Jones’. Brooklyn Jones turned to his wife one day and said “lets go” “go where?” Taylor asked. “Tisashky River Gated Community.” After some convincing, Brooklyn successfully trekked to California with his wife and twin kids, Nicholas and Riley. Tisashky River would be a new start for the family of four. Brooklyn stumbled across the community on the internet. The webpage said that applications were now being accepted and people would be able to move in before the year 2040 was over. Without telling his without, he filled out the family’s information and waited to see if the family would be approved. Three weeks later, the approval email came. Brooklyn immediately dropped the ball on his wife. So there they arrived, on the warm coasts of California to chose their new home.
What a home it was. The family had never lived in anything so lavish. The rule was that people with children got to select their homes first. Too overwhelmed to decide, Brooklyn and Taylor allowed their children to pick their new home. The innocent six year olds settled on a bright blue one with trees everywhere, sitting proudly on Forest Hills Drive. 2014 was the number glistening on the yellow mailbox on the lush lawn. The family transferred their belongings from van to new rooms and got cozy on the inside. They were going to be there for a while. As long as both parents kept their jobs the government would continue to pay their mortgage. In Alaska, Brooklyn was a journalist and he would be the same for the Tisashky Tales. A newspaper that focused on promoting positivity and growth amongst the community. Taylor was an English teacher back in Alaska and would become one of the first high school teachers for the new city. School and education were of great importance to the founders of Tisashky River and that would be emphasized as much as possible.
Nicholas and Riley would be starting kindergarten. After all 100 houses were filled, there were enough children to fill grades K-11th. The classes were small and would so until more room had to be made. Nicholas was happy to be in the same class as his sister. They were glued to the hip. If they were still in Alaska, the two would have been in different classes. The kindergartners were a special bunch because they were the first, the prototype. They would be given an abundance of classes geared towards the arts to turn their minds into creative, flowing, expressive places. They’d grow to become the future of Tisashky River . School would be held Mon-Thur, 9:00 a.m - 3:30 p.m. The twins wanted to go to school everyday, they loved it. Their mother, the school teacher didn’t love school as much as her babies did.
Taylor wanted to be a great teacher for her new students but she didn’t know how. There were twelve kids in the 10th grade class and they couldn’t care less about the 10th grade. Tisashky River High only went up to the 11th grade and then teens were free to dabble in in real world experiences. For 1oth graders in the community, life was a balance beam act. In a normal town, their lives would be different, normal you could say. All eyes in the community would be on them because they would be the next wave of adults Tisashky River would have to accommodate in the near future. Realizing this, Taylor felt the stress setting on her shoulders. She had to do her job and she had to do her job well but she’d rather be out having fun, not working. Why couldn’t she just be a stay home mother by day and a social life by night? Who was going to stop her? Day by day she went to her job less and subs had to come fill in. If you asked the students, she wasn’t missed. She began coming home at crazy hours, reeking of hard liquor and a night of fun. Riley stopped asking why mommy wasn’t coming to dinner. Nicholas gave up on watering the plants to keep them healthy for mommy. Brooklyn got used to spending nights in their bed alone. Taylor was having the fun she never had in Alaska. Brooklyn was beginning to loathe her because of it.
“So you’ve quit your job?” Brooklyn asked his wife over breakfast. He hadn’t seen her in three days and received several calls from the high school saying Taylor stopped coming to work without notice. The fork en route to Taylor’s mouth went still. “What do you mean love?” It was Saturday so Taylor was thrown off by the question. “They called last night. Taylor where have you been?” Brooklyn said sternly. Taylor didn’t answer. “You’ve been out drinking with the single women up the block. I’ve heard the stories through the grapevine. You don’t go to work anymore. Do you even care about the kids? When was the last time you’ve seen them? Nicholas is student of the month. Riley takes art classes with the fourth graders because she excelled far past her peers. Did you know that!?” Brooklyn was a tone away from screaming at this point. The kids were peaking around the corner to see what the commotion in their usually calm home was. Brooklyn didn’t notice them. Taylor did. Brooklyn kept yelling. Taylor didn’t stop him. “Where have you been? We came here together to give our children a better life and education but you seem to have forgotten that. All you care about is yourself, your parties and those over priced drinks. I want a divorce.
Divorce wasn’t allowed in Tisashky River because there’d be nowhere to put the split families. Brooklyn knew that but Taylor didn’t because she never cared to read the Tisashky River Documents given to residents upon entry to their home. There were only 6 pages and residents were given a week to read and sign, making matters official. Page four of the Tisashky River documents read:

Divorce: the event of a divorce, one adult is allowed to continue residing in Tisashky River. If there are children and or family members, they too are allowed to stay. The other adult must leave within 2 weeks after the divorce is set. This adult is permitted visits to children and or other family members whenever but only that or visit privileges will be revoked.

Revoked Visit Privileges: You are no longer allowed behind the gates of Tisashky River. You will be put in the logs and denied entry for life.

It was clear Taylor was no longer fit to care for Nicholas and Riley. She was unpredictable, unreliable and unaware of responsibility. Eight days after the divorce, Taylor left 3 notes. One for Riley, one for Nicholas and one for the husband she no longer had. Then out the gates of Tisashky River she stepped, never looking back.