The Cursed Journey of Harold
Dolls. They can be cherished companions, nostalgic reminders of childhood, or, as the following tale chillingly illustrates, conduits for something far more sinister. This is the story of Harold, a doll whose name became synonymous with misfortune, a plaything linked to a trail of illness, accidents, and even death.
Harold's story first surfaced on the online marketplace eBay in 2003. The seller, a man named Greg, listed the doll, a seemingly innocuous composition doll, for sale. But this was no ordinary doll. Greg claimed that Harold was cursed. He recounted how, after acquiring the doll, his life had spiraled into a series of unfortunate events: illness, migraines, a breakup, and the death of his cat. Even more disturbing, he claimed to hear crying, laughter, and the sounds of children coming from his basement, where the doll was kept locked away.
Greg's listing, attracting hundreds of thousands of views, detailed the doll's alleged curse. One potential buyer backed out at the last minute, but another, a woman named Kathy living in Ireland, decided to take a chance. She purchased Harold for $300, unaware of the misfortunes that awaited her.
Kathy's journey to collect Harold was plagued with problems from the start. Family members who encountered the doll suffered from sudden and severe back problems, including herniated discs. Their planned cruise was canceled due to illness. Even Kathy herself began to experience back problems. The ill luck seemed to cling to anyone who came into contact with Harold.
The doll's curse didn't stop with physical ailments. A close friend of Kathy's, Veronica, who had mocked the doll, tragically died in an accident shortly after seeing it. Later, a lodger who stayed in a room where Harold was kept developed terminal cancer and died within a year. The trail of misfortune grew longer, each event seemingly connected to the cursed doll.
Eventually, Kathy, overwhelmed by the doll's dark influence, decided to part with it. Harold once again appeared on eBay, where it caught the attention of Anthony Quinata, a collector of haunted objects living in Mexico. Despite the warnings, Quinata, intrigued and perhaps a bit skeptical, purchased the doll. He documented his experiences with Harold, which included even more unsettling events, exorcisms, and ultimately, a book about his ordeal.
Harold's story is a chilling reminder that not all playthings are innocent. It's a tale of a doll seemingly imbued with a dark and malevolent force, leaving a trail of misfortune in its wake. Whether the misfortunes are mere coincidence, the power of suggestion, or something truly supernatural, the legend of Harold serves as a terrifying reminder of the unknown forces that may lurk just beyond our understanding.
Check out our episode on haunted dolls here