After UCCS created the TAAP program to provide students with books for classes, there has been something disquieting about the space previously known as the bookstore.
Shelves formerly filled with textbooks and novels are now empty, save for several copies of James Patterson’s “The 9th Judgement” and “Navigate: A Guide to the Gateway Program Seminar.” Each of these titles are mysteriously shelved under “reference guides.”
Students initially took little notice of the empty section of the bookstore, as there was a newly expanded section of UCCS swag and school supplies to peruse. It was only mid-September that things started changing.
“I went in to buy a Diet Coke from the snack section, and the fridge was empty. I looked around to see if there were any employees that could tell me if they had any in the back, and there was nobody there,” junior computer science major Daisy Bell recalled. “I started to get a weird feeling. I would’ve left then, but I really need a Diet Coke in the middle of the day to keep me going.”
Bell explained that after looking around the bookstore for any signs of life, she stumbled upon an open door to a back room. After entering, she continued to follow a long hallway that seemingly led to nowhere.
“I kept walking, thinking that I saw a light up ahead, and no matter how far I walked it seemed that I wasn’t getting any closer. It was so weird, it looked like any other hallway, but everything just felt… off,” Bell said.
Other students have reported similar experiences when looking for help in the bookstore. Many mentioned the unsettling echo of any sound among the abandoned shelving units, as well as inexplicable confusion while occupying the space.
All reports seemed to agree that reality feels slightly altered after entering the store, as if students never should have been there in the first place.
It seems like the bookstore has been fully abandoned, now that the garage-door opening is no longer being closed after hours. Campus officials have attempted to rectify the situation by shutting the door themselves, but it seems there has been little success.
Concern about mischief in the bookstore quickly dissipated once the fluorescent lights began flickering, almost as if challenging trespassers to enter if they dare.
Students have been advised to stay away from the bookstore until a solution can be found for the off-putting retail space. No bookstore officials could be reached for comment.
Photo courtesy of downtownlincoln.org.