"A Hotbed Of Evil Activity"

That is how Treasure Coast Ghosts, which gives ghost tours in Fort Pierce, Florida, describes the former location of Treasure Coast Antique Mall, now, ironically, the home of The Power of Faith Ministries and seen in the photograph above. Treasure Coast Ghost's website claims that a "cursed relic" called Robert the Doll "spent years residing at various antique stores in Florida," including at Treasure Coast Antique Mall in Fort Pierce, and "its presence acted as a catalyst for the unexplained activity that now envelopes the city." Now THAT'S heavy. I actually looked up Robert the Doll, and it is actually a well-known "haunted doll" that now resides in the East Martello Museum in Key West, Florida. It has a page on Wikipedia, an article on Atlas Obscura, and even has its own webpage. All kinds of supernatural activities have been attributed to it, and it is said that visitors to the museum who disrespect him have experienced "misfortunes." I have read a few of these accounts and in each one, possession of the doll goes from its original owner, Robert Eugene Otto, who lived at the Artist House in Key West, to a woman named Myrtle Reuter, who purchased the house after Otto passed away, to the East Martello Museum, never ever leaving Key West. So how did the doll wind up spending years at various antique stores in Florida? Unfortunately, the only way to find out is to sign up for that Fort Pierce Ghost Tour, which takes place every night at 8:00 P.M. and would set me back $26. I'll have to think about it. By the way, I am pretty sure I can make out a ghost standing in a doorway on the far righthand side of that photograph. And I do have to wonder if anyone has ever told that ministry that their building is a "hotbed of evil activity." I sure don't intend to - they might take that the wrong way.