Elizabeth Rush

Resident Full Name: Elizabeth Rush
Resident Date of Birth: 28/12/1995
Resident Age: 16
Resident Gender: Female
Current Address: Fairview House, 11 Clinton Road,
City/Town: Redruth
County/State: Cornwall
Country: England

Resident Hair Colour: Strawberry blonde
Resident Eye Colour: Brown
Resident Height: 5’6
Resident Weight: 118 pounds
Distinguishing Marks: I have quite a few scars, but they aren’t exactly in places I usually show people except for the one on my arm.
Psychiatrist’s note: I am Dr Lee, I will assist Elizabeth with her application where appropriate. Elizabeth has a scar on her left forearm, from an injury which required stitches that occurred when she broke a window to escape the Slater’s house to get assistance for Ninian Frost, another child who was imprisoned with the same family, who had fractured his leg the previous day in a fall on the stairs.

Do you have any ongoing medical conditions for which you require long-term treatment or medications?

No, I don’t.

Are you aware of any allergies you may have to foods, medications or environmental elements? If so, please list them below along with age of onset.

I suffer from hayfever in summer and a slight dust allergy, but otherwise I’m alright. I think they’ve been there since I was born, but I’m not really sure.

Do you take any other medications or drugs not prescribed to you, or participate in the consumption of alcohol or tobacco?

No, I never have.


Where were you born and where did you grow up? What was it like there?

We think I was born somewhere in Cornwall. I can’t tell you where exactly because I never knew my parents but that’s where I was left as a baby, at the back of a church somewhere in Cornwall. I don’t think I ever knew the exact one. I was sent to two different homes while I was growing up, trying to find somewhere that had space and where I'd get on with other kids I think, and then I stayed at Fairview when I was ten, and I live there again now. It was alright as far as I remember, although I did get teased about pulling my hair and I didn’t much like the girls I shared a room with. A new girl moved in, I think her name was Hannah, and she used to steal or break things and try to blame me. I’m not sure why. That was why I tried to run away when I was twelve. It was silly, really. It was busy but I think I wasn’t really unhappy. Just nervous.

Please describe your relationships with your biological family, including parents, and siblings if applicable.

Unless my biological family turn out to be my teachers, the bus driver or people who work here, I don’t have any relationship with them. I used to pretend they’d come and find me, and there’d been a huge misunderstanding and I’d be living with parents and a golden retriever in no time. I gave up on that in the end.

How were/are you in school? How are your grades? Do you enjoy school?

I enjoyed school a lot when I was small, I think I must have liked the way you could finish the day feeling cleverer than when you woke up or that it was easier to get someone’s attention if you needed something. By the time I was in secondary school though I hated it. I didn’t like having to learn like that, crammed into a room with thirty other bored kids, taught to an exam we wouldn’t be taking until some time in the distant future. It made me nervous. Another silly thing, now I think about it. I had no idea how lucky I was. My grades are alright now but not brilliant, but they vary a bit depending on how much I slept recently. My grades are only as good as they are because if I do the work I don’t have to talk to the other people there but probably because she made us learn a lot of things we would learn in school anyway as well as quite a lot that’s probably not on the national curriculum. School still makes me really anxious because I might make mistakes. She made me learn to sing properly and play the piano and the absolute right way to clean anything. We weren’t allowed to get things wrong or have untidy handwriting. Those things still worry me.

Do you participate in any extracurricular activities or belong to any after-school clubs?

No. Before I tried to run away I used to be in choir, but I don’t do that any more. Singing isn’t fun like it used to be, it just makes me really anxious and I breathe in the wrong places, which makes me more anxious. Not to mention that people tend to notice patches where I’ve pulled more when they’re standing behind me and staring at the back of my head with nothing else to do.

If you no longer reside with your biological family, please describe any previous homes as well as your current situation.

I don’t clearly remember the homes I lived in before Fairview. I have a few memories of them which are mostly good. Not peaceful but generally friendly, although I was still anxious and pulled my hair. I did it a lot less back then, people thought I’d grow out of it or didn’t notice. I didn’t really have patches with no hair, so it was a little harder to notice. Fairview was alright before Hannah arrived, I could cope with Polly and Martha, who were friends. They didn’t like me much; they were both a bit older and liked having the room to themselves before I got there. When Hannah arrived she was the same age as them and they got on well, but Hannah didn’t like me for some reason. I never worked out why. She’d steal other people’s things and put them with mine and then if the person was upset and went to the adults they’d blame me and sometimes get other kids to do the same. I don’t know why. It didn’t always work, but the day I tried to run away they’d stolen a necklace from another girl who’d just arrived. It had a picture of her mother inside and she was very upset, so I was the one they looked at first. The staff said they’d call the police if it happened again, and that this had gone on long enough, and I decided to leave. I thought any place without Hannah would be better. I was very wrong.

The Slaters were watching and saw me leave. I suppose they decided I would be a good target, as I was leaving anyway. After I’d walked a few streets over, just as my arms were getting tired, they offered me a lift to the next big town. Except that their idea of a big town was apparently their isolated house in Reading. There was already a boy there, his name was Ninian, but they called him Nicholas. Maybe they thought an unusual name would attract attention. We didn’t go out at all though, except out into the garden with Mr and Mrs Slater very occasionally, and even then there had to be no people around and probably a correct alignment of the planets before they’d so much as think about letting us out the door.

Psychiatrists’ note: Elizabeth remained at the Slater’s home for four years. Lizzy was expected to be the perfect example of a very antiquated and stereotypical young girl. As such her hair pulling was a significant problem, as were her initial lack of ability in cooking and sewing and other ‘suitable’ tasks. During this time she and Ninian were subjected to harsh punishments if things they were instructed to do were anything less than exemplary. As punishment they were either struck with Mr Slater’s belt or kept for a lengthy period in a small cupboard in the hallway by Mrs Slater. Lizzy was severely punished for pulling her hair, among other things, and this became a source of much of her anxiety as she did not always fully realise she was doing it, and so felt powerless to stop it. She has revealed to me that Ninian would often help her either by reminding her she was pulling her hair or by helping her conceal it from the Slaters. Their attempts were not always successful, however she became very close to Ninian, a relationship I feel was positive, in spite of the circumstances under which it existed.

After Nin broke his leg I was sent back to Fairview. None of those girls seem to be here any more, but I have nightmares when I do sleep and get anxious about most things. My room mates think it’s creepy that I pull my hair to get to sleep and they whisper about me. I’m not a good room mate to have, especially when I wake up in a panic.

Do you have many/any friends? If so, please describe them.

Nin’s my only friend. I miss him a lot since they split us up, he understood and helped me. I like to think I helped him too, but I doubt I did. He’s very kind.

Are you sexually active? Are you aware of any gender preference, or preferences in intimate practices, activities or situations?

Psychiatrist’s note: I will fill in this section for Elizabeth as she feels unable to do so herself. There was a sexual component to the abuse the children suffered at the hands of Mr and Mrs Slater. Although it appears neither of the adults performed sexual acts on the children themselves they were made to witness the sexual aspects of Mr and Mrs Slater’s relationship and then forced to replicate this. Understandably this is a very sensitive area to discuss with her, and any topic around sex makes her incredibly uncomfortable, but I understand she does not blame Ninian at all for this. She is very aware that, had they not complied, they would have been severely punished. She has admitted in the past feeling guilty for crying after such events, because she knew it upset him, but she adds that she couldn’t seem to stop. It appears luck was the only reason Elizabeth did not become pregnant during her captivity.

Have you ever knowingly committed a crime? Were you caught and convicted? If convicted, what was your sentencing?

If anything I did was illegal I don’t know about it.


Have you ever been diagnosed with any psychiatric ailments by a medical or psychiatric professional? If yes, please explain below.

I have been told I have trichate tricketillamania
Psychiatrist’s note: Elizabeth became distressed so I will fill in this portion of the application. I have diagnosed Elizabeth with trichotillomania, complex post traumatic stress disorder and generalised anxiety disorder. She has pulled her hair out from a young age, however she feels it did not truly become disruptive until the period in which she lived with the Slater’s. The diagnosis of C-PTSD is due to her imprisonment with them and the way it is still affecting her. Generalised anxiety disorder due to normal, everyday things causing her a great deal of anxiety

Please describe any incidents associated with these ailments, such as antisocial behaviours, social or environmental difficulties, incidents of self harming, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, substance abuse, etc.

Psychiatrist’s note: Elizabeth’s C-PTSD makes it extremely hard to trust people, particularly adults. As such she has not formed a positive relationship with any of the other children since her return, and she largely avoids the adults. It is hard for her to identify how she feels in a given situation, particularly if there is a lot of noise, which she says ‘overloads’ her brain. At times she feels memories from the period she was with the Slater’s appear to suddenly wash over her and she appears to retreat to the behaviours that were expected of her at that time. This, along with feelings that she has very little control over the situations she is in, anxiety over the length of time she and Ninian were kept at the Slater’s without anyone noticing and from the feeling that nobody is likely to care about her, and difficulty regulating her emotions (such as feeling powerless to end a spiral of anxiety over something simple such as putting her shoes away) led to a diagnosis of Complex-PTSD. She also suffers nightmares and insomnia, which I believe are both related to memories. In addition she isolates herself from the other children, preferring to spend time alone than socialise.

Trichotillomania has prevented the other children from really talking to her, as she frequently attempts to self-soothe by pulling her hair. As she now has significant patches where hair is missing it is hard to convince the other children that she is not ‘crazy’ because of this they tend to avoid her and Elizabeth is not confident with socialising. She frequently becomes anxious over details others would call insignificant, for example when cooking (although this is a rare event as she feels distressed by the memories that are brought up by this activity) she will worry that the oven is not on exactly the correct temperature. She becomes exceedingly anxious over things such as whether to take an umbrella when she goes out, if she has correctly made her bed in the morning, despite there being no rules at Fairview about this. She is aware that these things are small and insignificant, however she cannot stop worrying about them. This led me to a diagnosis of Generalised Anxiety Disorder.

Have you ever seen a licensed psychiatric professional, psychologist, or counsellor for these ailments? If yes, please list doctor(s) or counsellor(s) below:

I started seeing Doctor Lee when I first moved back here about six months ago. There was someone at the police station after I got help for Nin, but I can’t remember their name.

Do you take any medications for any diagnosed psychiatric ailments? If yes, please list medication, dosage, and frequency of dosage below:

They give me some diazepam if I’m having a bad day but I don’t like taking pills. I’m ok without them.
Psychiatrist’s note: I attempted to prescribe some medication to help Lizzy with her anxiety, but she was extremely resistant. Eventually she agreed to taking 2mg of diazepam if she was feeling incredibly anxious. I suspect she feels anxiety that the drugs would make her a different person. Although I have tried to reassure her that this is not the case, she still vehemently refuses all other medication and we felt it best not to try and force any on her.

Have you ever been admitted to a short or long-term psychiatric facility as a result of these ailments or associated incidents?

No. I just have to go and see Dr Lee twice a week.
Psychiatrist’s note: I feel Lizzy would be better suited to an environment more capable of addressing her psychiatric needs, such as your establishment.

How do you feel these ailments affect your quality of life or your situation in life?

I don’t know. I can’t really remember feeling any different. I suppose I worry a lot and it makes it hard for me to do things like cook. Normal things. And I’m running out of hair and Dr Lee says I can really damage new hair if I pull it. I’m not really worried about the damage, just that I I don’t know. But I can’t seem to stop, even when I notice I’m doing it. I do want friends. I just worry too much to make any and they avoid me here because they think I’m crazy or something. I find it hard to concentrate if I haven’t slept in a while, and then I get really anxious and I feel sick because I can’t concentrate at school.

If you could be cured of your ailments, what would your goals in life be?

I want to Being a better friend
Psychiatrist’s note: Lizzy tried hard to find an answer, however she found this very challenging and fast became very anxious. The reassurance that there is no right answer only made matters worse.

How do you feel these goals would be best attained?

Being Not I don’t know.
Psychiatrist’s note: Lizzy felt unable to give a real answer to this question, although she did try hard.

Why do you feel you are being referred to Highgrove, and by whom?

Because I’m too much trouble as I am, I take up too much of everyone’s time because I get so anxious and they try to calm me down. I can’t get on with other people well. They want me to be normal. Dr Lee and the staff are referring me. I just make everything hard.
Psychiatrist’s note: We are referring Lizzy as Fairview is far from an ideal environment for her to be in. I feel that she really needs to be in a place that is able to cater to her psychological needs in a way we simply can’t and offer her appropriate care, treatment and therapy in a stable environment where she can begin to recover.


Hello, and thank you for meeting with me today. Our interview today will be recorded for review later. I'm going to ask you a series of questions, and I'd like for you to answer as fully as you are able. I'd like to start by asking you how you're feeling today.

I’m fine, thank you. How’re you?
Patient observation: Patient appears nervous, clenching hands together tightly, possibly to prevent pulling. Patient also appears fatigued, likely due to insomnia mentioned in the written application.

Okay. And how are you feeling about this opportunity to join our family at Highgrove?

I… I’m not sure. I think it would be good to be in a family, I’m sure it’s very nice. I’ve often wondered what that would be like.

If you could alter one event in your life, what event do you think you would change or remove, and why?

I would find a way to get Nin and I out sooner.

If you had to describe yourself in only three words, what words would you choose and why?

Patient observation: Patient appears very anxious about this question, as if caught off guard, begins subtly fiddle with her hair
Um.
Patient observation: There is a period of nervous silence.
Strange. And… I don’t know.
Patient observation: Patients’ hand discreetly reaches up to her scalp.
Invisible. And… alone.

How do you feel currently about your life so far, and anything you may have done?

I… wish I’d been braver, I think. I don’t think I always did the right thing. I’m not really sure.

What would you do if you found a stranger being attacked by another stranger, and why?

I’d tell… I don’t know. Phone the police and try to help the person who’d been attacked. I don’t know how. I might… I don’t know. I’m sorry, I don’t know.

What would you do if you were being threatened by a stranger, and why?

Patient observation: Patient appears anxious and considers the question for some time.
I don’t think I’d do anything. I wouldn’t know what to do.
Patient is reminded to answer the second part of the question
I… I don’t know that either. I wouldn’t want them to do it to other people or… I’m sorry I just… don’t know.

Have you ever deliberately harmed yourself, another, or animals in the past? If so, why do you think that was?

No. I don’t think I did. I… thought about it. But I didn’t.
Patient observation: Patient will not elaborate, appears to become increasingly anxious.

And lastly, what do you hope to find at Highgrove, and how do you think this will help you to learn and grow?

I hope to find something that will help me feel better. I don’t know. I’m sorry, I really don’t know.
Patient Observation: Patient appears to give the first response out of a desire to give the correct answer, and is clearly distressed. She appears to pull at her hair and is asked to stop.

This concludes our interview for today. Thank you for filling out our application and speaking with me. We will contact you or your guardian shortly with our decision or recommendations. In the meantime, enjoy the rest of your day. Goodbye.


Is there anything your character is not telling us? Do they have any dirty or dark little secrets they're omitting from their application? Please explain below.

Nothing much, besides a fear of the dark and the fact that the time she ran away from Fairview was far from the first time. The staff knew she was likely to come back on her own, so didn't become as worried as they might have been, allowing a little more time before raising the alarm. By that time she was hidden away in Reading. It's not exactly a secret, just something she prefers not to talk about. She thinks it makes being taken by the Slaters a sort of 'boy who cried wolf' situation and she feels people might blame her for it.

Player Nickname:Ducky
Player Chatango Name:Lariduck
Character Playby:Dakota Blue Richards

Resident Full Name: Elizabeth Rush
Resident Age: 16
Resident Gender: Female
Known Diagnoses: C-PTSD, Trichotillomania, Generalised Anxiety Disorder

Dormitory Number: 6
Bunk Number: 01 Top
Assigned Chores Group: Stables Chores
Assigned Therapist: Dr. Matthais Savage

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