It was 12:30 when I walked into Mrs. Izato’s room and asked about lunch. Millionaire’s Madness had just ended and Catch that Phrase was just starting. She handed me the menu from the cafeteria downstairs and mentioned that was what she wanted to eat. So I headed out the door to the nearest elevator.
	The hallway was silent, no one was walking around. It was eerie how silent the hallways were, they really worked hard at soundproofing in this building. Maybe that’s why the signal from the PlaceCare app doesn’t work in here. I pushed the elevator button, and then I heard muffled conversations coming from the elevator. I strained to see if I could hear what they were talking about but it was too muffled. It didn’t matter the elevator doors opened up and the conversation stopped, I looked inside and the elevator was empty. “What the?” I said unexpectedly. But I shook my head and the thought right out of my mind and stepped into the elevator. The whole ride down to the lobby was silent. When I got out of the elevator, I lingered a few moments to see if I heard anything. Just silence. Maybe I have an overactive imagination, maybe it was something else.
	I followed the wall signs to the cafeteria.
	The dining room setup looked like pictures I had seen from the Titanic’s dining room. You know the ill fated ship, that was dedicated to decadence. It was quite impressive. At the front, closest to the kitchen were the people dressed in casual elegant. To be honest, I was a little shocked I didn’t see Gertrude sitting with them. There was no empty seat at their table. They were chattering to each other over who knows what and eating their salads. They spoke low enough you couldn’t really hear them, and they would all lean in towards the table while someone was talking. Every once in a while while everyone was relaxed back, silently eating, one of the members would casually glance over their shoulder. The tables surrounding this group were all empty.
	In the center of the room, but near the walkway entrance/exit, sat a group of women. This group of women was different, they wore their own handiwork, spoke loudly and over each other. Except when someone entered the room, a finger would point out someone had just entered and the entire table silenced at once and everyone turned to see who it was. Then the judgy stares began.
	I just stared blankly back at them, and smiled. A smile not a single one of them returned, but they did all turn back around go back to whatever it was they were doing before I so rudely interrupted them by walking in.
	In the far corner, near the garden window, sat a couple sitting together. Smiling, laughing and talking. Their feet touching each other under the table, I looked away quickly.
	The walkway divided the cafeteria in two, but no one sat on the left side. Until I got closer to the podium. There chairs were lined up on the left for people who were waiting for food pick up. 
	I saw the stack of sign up sheets for the cafeteria, a single menu, and a heavy 30 oz malt cup holding pencils. I filled out the paper room number on top and a checked the menu for the meal of the day. A smiling, young woman came out from the kitchen and picked up the menu, she made brief eye contact with me before returning to the kitchen. I sat down on the chair.