Just over a year ago, the movie Annabelle was released. The film sent chills down the spines of horror enthusiasts everywhere! The actual story came to light when Ed and Lorraine Warren were called in to investigate these odd occurrences. The Warren’s case file is way more terrifying than the story line in the movie.
Who the Hell are the Warren’s? Ed and Lorraine Warren were two of the most renowned paranormal investigators in modern times. Their case files number over 4000 well documented stories complete with eyewitness and photographic evidence. Some of their investigations include the Amityville house, the Perren family haunting, which was the true storywhich the Conjuring was based on, and the Southington Connecticut haunting on which the movie The haunting in Connecticut was based. There are a ton more but for now, on with Annabelle.
For starters the Annabelle doll was not a porcelian faced doll, she was an oversized Raggedy Ann doll about the size of a four year old kid. The doll was given as a birthday gift to a young lady by her mother, kind of as a novelty, something to use in decorating her new apartment. This young lady, Donna, also had a room mate named Angie, both of them were nurses.
In the beginning, the activity was very subtle, almost unnoticed. The doll would be found sitting in a slightly different position than how she was left. For example, Donna would leave the doll sitting on her bed with it’s arms and legs straight, but when the girls returned, it would be found with its legs crossed and it’s arms in different positions as well. As the haunting persisted, the doll would be found in different locations in the apartment, when I say different locations, I mean a whole other room. The girls stated that there was one time the doll was found kneeling near the doorway. When they tried to place the doll in a kneeling position later, they found that there was no way they could bend it’s legs where it would remain in that position.
The girls also claimed to have found notes left by the doll, notes written in pencil on parchment paper. Both girls, out of curiosity, searched the entire apartment for a pencil or parchment paper, neither could be found.
The two room mates began to suspect someone was sneaking into their apartment and playing a prank on them. After changing the locks and securing the windows, the haunting became much more aggressive. Sometimes things would levitate then come crashing to the floor. Other times things would be discovered in the apartment, things that neither of them had seen before. For example, one time a boot shaped piece of chocolate candy was found sitting on the stereo cabinet.
At this point, a Medium was called in. And if you ask me, this medium had serious issues with her ability of spiritual discernment.
The Warren’s later stated that this only agitated the situation. The demon that was inhabiting the apartment duped the Medium into believing that it was the spirit of a young girl named Annabelle, who had died on the vacant lot where the apartment complex was later built. When asked by the Medium why “Annabelle” was attracted to the doll the Demon spun it’s lie.
Playing on the compassion of the young nurses, the demon, still under the guise of the young girls spirit, insisted that it was lonely and only wanted to play. The demon then asked permission to stay with the girls and live inside the doll. The girls, seeing no harm in the spirits’ request, gave their permission. This, so Ed Warren said, sealed the deal and allowed the demon to attach itself to the girls.
After the Medium’s visit, the haunting became much worse. One evening the girl’s came home to find the doll sitting on the couch with three drops of blood on it’s chest and blood smears on the back of its’ hand. The owner of the doll panicked and called her boyfriend, Lou to come over. This is when the shit hit the fan.
When the boyfriend arrived, he removed the doll from the couch and took it back into the bedroom. A few minutes later, they were all startled by loud banging and screaming that was coming from the bedroom.
Lou went to see what was happening. When they all arrived at the door, the doll was crumpled over in the corner. Lou entered the room and immediately felt as if someone or something was standing behind him. When he turned to confront the stranger, he was attacked. An invisible hand began to choke him, then he was clawed across his chest. Seven claw marks criss-crossed his chest, they bled profusely but then healed at an amazing rate. Within 48 hours no sign of the claw marks remained.
Donna and Angie then reached out to a local Priest. The Priest, after having heard their story, immediately called his friends, Lorraine and Ed Warren, to come and investigate.
When the Warren’s arrived they interviewed Donna, Angie and Lou at the same time. This is when Lou begrudgingly relayed other occurrences where the doll had attacked him. He confessed that he awoke to see the doll at his feet. It climbed over him and began to strangle him. Somehow, it was as if he was paralyzed and couldn’t defend himself.
After sharing their story, the girls stated that they were planning to move out of the apartment. Imagine their shock when Ed Warren told them that it wouldn’t do any good. Ed stated that all of the gestures the doll made, the transportation of the doll around the apartment, the letters written on parchment and the three drops of blood, a mockery of the trinity, all proved that there had been intent behind the entity’s actions. This is one determining factor that separates a haunting from a demonic infestation. Spirits don’t have that kind of ability, only something inhuman has this type of power.
The Warrens then called the Priest over to the apartment for an exorcism, followed by a blessing of the apartment and all who were there. You see, a demon can only attach itself to an object, not possess it, a demon can only possess a person.
So, after the Priest finished, they all said their good byes and at the request of Donna, the doll’s owner, the Warrens took “Annabelle” with them when they left. Ok so, you would think the story ends here. Oh, no, there’s more!
Ed was concerned that the demon had not detached itself from the doll, so he placed it in the back seat of the car and avoided taking the interstate home.
His hunch was soon proven to be fact. The Warren’s new car seemed to stall at every dangerous curve. With every stall, the brakes and power steering would fail. The third time it happened, Ed pulled to the side of the road, after having barely avoided a collision. He reached into his black bag, took out a small vial and tossed holy water onto the doll before making the sign of the cross over its head. Things seemed to quiet down after that and the Warren’s arrived home safely.
For the next few days the doll sat in a chair next to Eds desk. All seemed to be fine until a few days later. The doll would begin to levitate then fall inert, a few days later the doll began showing up in other rooms of the house. On one occasion, when the Warren’s were away, the doll was locked in an outside storage building. When they returned, it was found upstairs in the house, sitting in Ed’s easy chair.
When Annabelle made her return, she did not come alone. She brought with her a friend, a black cat that would sometimes materialize beside the doll. The cat would make it’s way around Ed’s office inspecting books or other haunted objects, before returning to Annabelle’s side and dematerializing from the head down.
It also became rather apparent that Annabelle didn’t much care for clergy of any type. Loud growling sounds would reverberate through the Warren home when ever a the presence of a holy man was near, even if only by phone.
Annabelle remained inside the Warrens house without confinement for several more months. The final straw was when there was an attack on a Priest at a large social gathering in their home.
While in conversation with Lorraine Warren, Father Jason Bradford saw something moving out of the corner of his eye. Seconds later a 24 inch boars’ tooth necklace exploded above them. The noise was so loud that other guests heard it and ran into the kitchen. A nearby guest had been taking a photograph at the time of the occurrence. When the film was developed, all appeared normal with the exception of two beams of light that were coming from Annabelle and pointing directly at Father Bradford.
Soon after, Ed began the “occult museum” where haunted objects could be stored safely inside their home.
If you were to visit Ed’s museum, which by the way is open to the public for tours, the words DO NOT TOUCH have a Hell of a meaning behind them. Ed explained haunted objects like this: Profane objects, such as the Annabelle doll, have their own aura. If we are to touch that object, our aura mingles with theirs. This change attracts spirits, it’s like setting off a fire alarm.
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Author Lyn Gibson shares urban legends and haunted history every Monday evening! All horror – all hour, just the way we like it! Tune in at TUNEIN Satellite Radio or stream live at ARMED RADIO GLOBAL! Replays on 
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