Read this and then watch the movie, but keep the lights on.
The Anabelle story line has made a lot of money. They have made many movies surrounding the topic.
They have been able to do this because the story makes for a great movie. Who wouldn’t pay to see a demonic doll that runs around and kills people? I would pay for the price of a few movie tickets for that kind of action.
And I am not alone. Annabelle has reportedly made $257.6 million at the box office while the movie budget was only $6.5 million. That is a hell of a profit.
But how much of what Hollywood portrays is true?
The real thing was a Raggedy Ann Doll. It was a birthday gift from a mother to her daughter as her 28th birthday gift. It did not do as much damage as it did in the movie, but it made its presence known.
For example, one of the more famous stories surrounds a man named Lou. Lou was the finance of Donna’s roommate, Angie. For some reason, the doll particularly did not like him.
One night, Lou states that he was sleeping when he woke and saw the doll at the end of his bed. The doll climbed his leg slowly and made its way up to his neck. It then strangled him until he blacked out.
He told people in the morning and swore up and down that he wasn’t dreaming. When they checked his neck for any marks, there were none. Despite this, Lou believed what he had seen had been the real thing and was not a dream.
Another time the doll left physical marks on Lou. While spending time with Donna and Angie, they heard some rustling coming from Donna’s bedroom. Lou got up to the door to investigate.
Once the rustling stopped, he opened the door and saw the doll in the corner of the bedroom. He walked toward it, but didn't make it far. He sensed that something was behind him and tuned around.
In another moment, he was doubled over and holding onto his chest. Blood was making his shirt wet where he was grabbing his chest. He looked closer and saw claw marks where the blood was coming from. Four horizontal and three vertical scratches could be seen.
Despite the scratches being deep enough to cause a good amount of bleeding, they were fully healed in two days. There was no sign that the incident had ever happened.
Ed and Lorraine Warren had held the doll for many years before their passing. They are some of the most famous supernatural investigators ever. They had a museum that was open for years.
The Occult Museum closed after Lorraine’s death in June 2019. In addition to housing the Raggedy Ann Doll, there are a number of other items that have been said to be linked to demonic and other supernatural happenings there. Unfortunately, the museum is now closed for good.
Maybe that’s for the best, as some people try to test the spirits there.
The doll is said to be directly responsible for at least one death. During one of the tours, a young man and his girlfriend came to visit the museum. As Ed Warren showed them the doll, the man proceeded to run up to the glass and tap on it.
In addition, he made faces at it and asked it to give him scratches like it’s said to have given Lou many years before. Ed kicked him and his girlfriend out of the museum. This may have been his fatal mistake.
About three hours later, the man and girlfriend were taking a ride on his motorcycle. He lost control and ran head on into a tree. He died on impact, and his girlfriend was in the hospital for over a year.
Yet another story involves a priest. While the glass container had not yet been built for the doll, it still remained in the Warrens’ basement. The priest was visiting when he supposedly picked up the doll and threw it on the ground.
In disbelief, Ed asked why he would do such a thing. The priest replied that God was more powerful than any evil. Ed agreed, but added that although God is, he is not.
While driving home, the priest also got into a car accident. While he lived, the car was completely total. The Warrens have used this story and the previous one as examples as why people should never challenge demonic entities.
Let me know what you think about these stories and the legend of the Raggedy Ann Doll.
