I'm working in an animation studio that just happens to be squatting in a building that was once an old grocery store. Now it's fairly beat up, and the rumor is that it'll become condos or something in its future, but my coworkers have determined that it houses a ghost. They've named it Harold (or discovered his name, I'm not sure which), and being artists have drawn pictures of Harold all over the place. New Harolds are discovered and created daily, and it's become a fun game to find them all for some of us...
On June 12th I got a wrong number text asking for a Harold. In gleeful abandon at this bit of random chance, I decided to send some of the Harold pictures from around the building. The following are the texts that followed. Her texts are in blue, and my replies are in green. I've not cut anything out of this thread, nor have I edited it.
Is this harold this is ang
-Punky brewster ...
No, that is Harold.
Also, this is Harold.
This too, is Harold.
More Harolds.
So i went to jail and got a new phone and u an ur num came to thought so as gust now a gray truck went by just now
-Punky brewster ...
So r u still at work
-Punky brewster ...
June 13th. At this point I thought, "hey, why don't I just keep sending this random person ALL the Harolds? That'd be fun!" Also, my understanding of the situation at this point is that this girl named Angela was in jail, but now that she's out and has a new phone, she's trying to remember Harold's number. I gather he came to visit her in jail with his mom as a guest and he also drives a gray truck. Though in re-reading it now, apparently that translates to, "So I went to jail, and now that I'm out and have a new phone, I thought of you and figured I'd text you. Was that your gray truck just now?" To which I replied:
Harold.
Narwhal Harold.
Banana Harold.
Tranny Harold.
Unamused Harold
Red hot Harold pepper.
I love the story so u at work
-Punky brewster ...
Rule maker Harold.
Harold is always at work.
Harold meeting.
June 14th. At this point I thought for sure the girl would find the real Harold she was looking for, or realize someone was messing with her. I figured I'd just keep sending Harolds until she let me know she knew I wasn't Harold.
Muppet attack Harold.
So where u be today
-Punky brewster ...
(No caption was included in this one, since it's already in the picture. This is the escape route map of the building, and someone had drawn a creepy "Harold is here" right next to the "you are here." It made me giggle.)
Work or on the beach
-Punky brewster ...
Sandy Harold.
Work i see
-Punky brewster ...
(Apparently the real Harold works somewhere that includes sand. Though this is really sawdust, so I suppose I can understand her confusion.)
Tantrum Harold
Venting Harold.
So tell me wer u want me 2 meet
-Punky brewster ...
Doorway Harold
(clearly I was thinking "run away!" here. I tried from here on out to make the responses match what she'd asked as much as possible.)
So please comm get me i need some
-Punky brewster ...
(Woah! Some what?! My first thought was that she was looking for sex, but at this point I know she's from Coos Bay, OR, which is one of the meth capitals of the world, so perhaps it is drugs? I'm not sure. In any case, she started calling my phone here. Luckily I'd thought to ditch my personal greeting for the informal computer one. She didn't leave voicemails for most of the many calls, but here are the three that she did.)
**dead air** Hey, I was hopin' that maybe you were in town, or close to town or whatever. Bah.
(Followed by this voicemail.)
Hey it's Angie. Uhm... what, uh... what are yoooou, hello I need your help. Hullooo.
(And a third voicemail.)
Hullo. Uhm. You're not comingtof-inpickmeup?
(...she still thinks I'm Harold, which is disturbing in itself... but the weird part is, she thinks this is perfectly normal behavior for the real Harold. ...and back to texting we went.)
Creepy hermaphrodite Harold
Megalomaniacal Harold
Mirror Harold.
(Seriously, this is viewable only in the bathroom mirror. It's a bit creepy.)
Sad cookie Harold
Wh y so sad
-Punky brewster ...
Abstract Harold
(June 15th. This can't possibly go on, can it? )
Edvard Munch Harold
Chompy Harold. In 3D!
So i want to no wha his name is i like the book but whats the title and oh i dont no how to read
-Punky brewster ...
(Yes, apparently it *can* go on. And apparently she texts with her voice and her autocorrect has taken it upon itself to spell everything BADLY. Which just goes to prove that autocorrect, like furbies, is an evil, self aware entity bent on world domination.)
Avenging Harold
Dapper Harold
Ragtime Harold
(June 16th. I figure she's got to be getting bored by now. Also that last one is a ripped pair of underwear. I wish I'd known that before I touched it for the picture.)
Runaway Harold
R u gong to work if u or rag want to share im n empire
-Punky brewster ...
(Empire is a neighborhood in Coos Bay. The meth capital of somewhere, for those that have forgotten. Have we gained a third player?? Who is this mysterious "rag"? What are they sharing? I doubt seriously it's a ride to work. I'm still betting on meth here.)
Emergency Harold
(It's an emergency light. Heh.)
Ceiling Harold
(June 17th. It's been 5 days. There's no way this girl hasn't figured out she's texting the wrong number. I keep sending pictures of ghost Harold! But she replies.)
Horrifying Harold
I like him
-Punky brewster ...
(Of COURSE she likes the scary one!)
(June 19th. The 18th slipped by with no texting, so I figured she's finally figured out she's got the wrong number.)
Shadow puppet Harold
I love them but what else r u doin and i need some so bad plese tell me u can help me
-Punky brewster ...
Lurking Harold
Toast Harold
Sandy Harold
(Woo! I finally found one in sand! That would have been great for the other day, but, y'know.)
So r u close
-Punky brewster ...
Holy Harold
(June 20th.)
Awkward family photo Harold.
Lubed Harold
(What?! He's in a pot of vaseline! *I* didn't put him there. Sheesh.)
(June 21st. She *must* have figured this out now, yeah? I have to wonder if at this point, all the ghost Harolds are making her think that the real Harold has taken so many drugs he's fallen off the deep end. I have delusions that she may just be so horrified by this, it'll scare her straight! ...yeah, not so much.)
Drowned Harold
Pet rock Harold
Broken Dreams Harold
(The plastic container is labeled "Broken Dreams")
(June 22nd. I've figured she's found something else to do, but now I've got like 50 Harold photos that need a home, so I decide to just keep sending them until I get an, "OMG WHO R U??" text.)
Screwy Harold. And demanding Harold.
So i need some help some one just got me again
-Punky brewster ...
(Holy crap, she's still here!? And what does that even mean? Did someone deliver her more meth? She wouldn't be needing help already then, would she? Or is she trying to kick it? I don't think so, since she wanted to share with Harold and rag just days ago. Or is she just needing another shipment of puppies? Will the world ever know?)
Harold in the wall.
(June 23rd.)
Wall Harold redux.
(June 24th. Ang begins to question.)
Is this harold
-Punky brewster ...
Strung out Harold
K so i have a genarator and i want to sell it help me
-Punky brewster ...
(For some reason she found "Strung out Harold" reassuring. Wha-- I don't even...)
So im walking down ocean were r u
-Punky brewster ...
(Ocean Blvd. is a street in Coos Bay.)
Ice cream Harold
So were r u
-Punky brewster ...
Christmas Harold
********************************************************
So that's where we are as of 2:52 am on the 24th. It's been 13 days and this girl has been having the longest running wrong number conversation of her life, in which the person she's talking to has done nothing but send her random pictures of a ghost named Harold. I've sent her 49 of the 60+ that I have. Where will it end?!
This is why you don't do drugs, kids.
