| Berenice (short Story) |
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SUMMARY The narrator, Egaeus, is a studious young man who lives in a large gloomy mansion with his cousin Berenice. He suffers from a type of Obsessive disorder that makes him Fixate on objects. She, originally beautiful, suffers from some unspecified degenerative illness, with periods of Catalepsy a particular symptom. Nevertheless, they are due to be married. One afternoon, Egaeus sees Berenice, and when she smiles, he focuses on her teeth. His obsession grips him, and for days he drifts in and out of awareness, constantly thinking about the teeth. At one point a servant tells him that Berenice has died and been buried. When he next becomes aware, with an inexplicable terror, he finds a lamp and a small box in front of him. Another servant enters, reporting that a grave has been violated, and a shrouded disfigured body found, still alive. Egaeus finds his clothes are covered in mud and blood, and opens the box to find it contains dental instruments and "thirty-two small, white and ivory-looking substances" - Berenice's teeth. EXTERNAL LINKS
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