Previously: Help me, Susie’s Dying.
Type: MO (Malevolent Object. See also: Annabelle, Robert.)
Period/location of origin: Early 20th century, Europe. The precise years and location are unknown, but it is believed that subject came into being circa 1910 – 1920 in England or Germany.
Appearance: Subject appears to be a porcelain baby doll dressed in a white christening gown and carrying a small stuffed lamb. The doll wears a white cap and shoes. Its face is cracked in several places, giving the appearance of scars.
Subject is most frequently referred to as “Mandy,” although may also answer to the name “Mereanda.”
Modus operandi: In the presence of subject, targets have reported the following: The sound of a baby crying; objects disappearing from their last known locations and reappearing in others; objects vanishing entirely; the sound of footsteps when no other humans are present; the sound of tapping, as if against whatever case has been used to contain subject; and malfunctioning camera equipment. Targets have also reported the perceived motion of subject’s eyes: They may blink, or they may follow targets as the move about the room.
Subject’s goal remains unknown.
[Like what you read? Check out Dangerous Games To Play In The Dark, available from Chronicle Books now!]
Containment: Subject currently resides at the Quesnel and District Museum at 705 Carson Avenue in Quesnel, British Columbia, Canada. Subject is kept in a glass case alone; placing subject in the presence of other dolls has gone… poorly.
Additional notes: Subject’s precise history remains unknown. In 1991, subject was donated to the Quesnel and District Museum by her previous owner; the donor reportedly brought subject to the museum, saying that although the doll had been her grandmother’s, it was getting old and she did not want it to come to further damage. It is unknown whether the donor had other motives for removing the doll from her home — although the donor did note later on that while she owned subject, it was not unusual to hear the sound of a baby crying emanating from the basement in the dead of night.
At the time of donation, subject was in poor condition, with soiled clothing, a ripped body, and the cracked face for which subject is still known. Subject was restored by the museum, although during the restoration process, it became common for the lab in which the doll was kept at the time to be found in disarray in the morning — after subject had been left alone in it at night. The disarray has been described as appearing as if a child had had a tantrum and overturned objects in the room.
According to a psychic who allegedly asked to “read” subject, a spirit may or may not be inhabiting the doll. Although this story remains unconfirmed, it is said that subject was first discovered in the arms of a girl who was found dead in a cellar some time ago; it is not known why the girl was in the cellar or how she died, but it has been theorized that upon the expiration of the body, the girl’s spirit began to inhabit the doll.
Whether or not this story is true, the donor did confirm one thing when approached later by the museum: After subject had been removed from her home, the sounds drifting from her basement during the night ceased entirely.
Recommendation: Subject appears to be benign; however, don’t get too friendly with her.
She doesn’t like it when she feels abandoned.
Resources:
The Quesnel and District Museum and Archives: Mandy (Mereanda).
Forget Annabelle. Meet Mandy the Haunted Doll.
10 Freaky Dolls You Don’t Want To Play With.
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[Photo via LayLo Films/YouTube]
