Elena
‘Dear stranger,
You don’t know me, and I don’t know you either.’
“Delete!”
My best friend, Victoria, screeched in my ears. I took another look at the laptop screen and reread my message. “Why?” I asked, confused. “What’s wrong with it?”
Victoria let out an annoyed sigh and grabbed the laptop from my lap. “You’re writing a prisoner, not a poet.” She rolled her eyes. “Have you read this guy’s charges?”
I shrugged my shoulders and read through the endless list of charges.
‘Murder’
‘Assault’
‘Drug trafficking'
I made it easier for myself and stopped the count at the third. “How is this guy even allowed on this website?” I laughed at Victoria. She scrunched up her nose and gave me a frown. “I have no idea.”
To others, it might’ve seemed crazy why I, Elena Torres, a 21-year-old, would even think of writing a prisoner, but it was easy. It was all because of a stupid bet, and now I had to hold my end of the deal and prove Victoria wrong.
Marvin Romero was my unfortunate victim. He was 25-years-old and sentenced to life without parole, he wouldn’t be coming out any time soon, or better yet—he wouldn’t be coming out at all.
Every time I stared at his picture, I had this urge to drop everything and tell Victoria that she was right and that I was a chicken who lived in my family’s shadows, but I didn’t like losing. Marvin seemed like a scary guy, and he was the exact type my dad did not want me to end up with.
That was not the issue, though, because I wasn’t looking for a boyfriend, and the big and bold letters at the top made it pretty clear. ‘This is not a dating site.’
“He doesn’t really look like a poet.” I agreed as my eyes landed on his tattoos. “Would it be bad of me to say he looks like a gang member?” Tori pointed out. I tilted my head and took another look at his countless tattoos. He had only posted one picture, but I secretly hoped to see more of him. “Hmm, no—I know he has tattoos, but that’s a bit judgmental, don’t you think?”
I gathered my courage and began writing the email. It would only be a one-time thing, and I had picked out someone like Marvin Romero on purpose. Guys like him wouldn’t reply. He said it himself—he was bored, which was pretty understandable because it wasn’t like he could go anywhere.
—
‘Hi, Marvin!
My name is Lena🤗
Just like you, I’m also from San Diego.
I saw your profile on the message board and read you needed someone to talk to🤔
Guess what? I can be that someone!😯
If you would like to talk and are up for a challenge, I would like for you to solve this riddle😉
What kind of bars won’t keep a prisoner in jail?
From,
Lena.
—
“And send.” I smiled as I pressed the key. Tori let out a gasp and burst out laughing. “Jesus, Lena.” She giggled. “It looks like you’re sending a mail to a pre-schooler, and what’s up with all the emojis?”
“So?” I shrugged. “I send the email, so I won the bet, right?”
“Won what bet?” A voice suddenly spoke. I quickly closed my laptop and stood up to face my dad. George Torres.
He might’ve been my dad, but to others, he was DEA agent Torres and just for that reason, I did not want him to see how I had been spending my precious time. “Dad, you’re home!”
“Hi, Mr. Torres,” Victoria greeted him. My dad smiled at us before his eyes moved towards my laptop. “Is it something I’m not allowed to see?”
The worse thing about my dad was that he was annoyingly overprotective, just like my brother, Alex. It might’ve been strange, but coming right back home after university to work as a bartender at a cocktail bar was like a dream come true to them. It was a way for them to keep me safe and a way for them to keep an eye on me.
“Of course not. You know I don’t hide stuff from you,” I told my dad. I pulled him by his arm and led him out of my room while I looked back to stare at Tori. “Good safe.” She mouthed.
“Anyway, you’re back early—how was work?”
“A disaster.” My dad sighed as we made our way to the kitchen. I turned on the kettle to make him some tea and patiently waited to hear his story. “The case of Stevie’s murderer might get dismissed.” He shared. “The Castillo’s planted false evidence, and now they’re going after the wrong murderer, while they’ll let that scum walk free.”
“How do you know the evidence is fake?”
My dad took a deep breath and looked into my eyes. “I just know it!”
“Oh really?” I tried my hardest to sound interested. My dad and brother had this unhealthy obsession with fighting crime, and even though I was not allowed to receive all that information, my dad shared it because he wanted me to prepare myself for the real world.
It was not that crazy, considering my mom ran off and abandoned the family to live with some criminal lover when I was just five years old. We hadn’t heard from her ever since.
I understood why my dad and Alex wanted to protect me, but it was all too much.
Just when it couldn’t get any worse, my dad’s partner was murdered on a mission several years ago. Stevie Maddens was my dad’s best friend and the man who used to sit on the couch every single day, but now he was gone. My dad couldn’t handle the loss of his best friend and was obsessed with bringing these people down.
“I’m leaving.” Tori kissed my cheek. My dad looked at Tori with eyes full of worry. “It’s not because of me, right?” He asked.
Tori shook her head and gave him a side-hug. “Of course not, sir.” She spoke. “I have to get to work, but I’ll visit tomorrow!”
Tori greeted us one last time and walked out the door. At times I couldn’t believe myself and did not have a good reason why I was even jealous of my best friend, but I couldn’t help it. Tori was intelligent, beautiful, popular, and had a successful career. She worked at her dad’s law firm and was way too good to be hanging out with me. She was perfect.
We had met each other in university, and both shared the same dream, the dream to become a lawyer. Tori succeeded, while I had to deal with rejection after rejection and took the hard decision to leave my dream behind.
“Do you have work today?” My dad asked. I opened the cabinet to grab a tea bag and some sugar and reached for a cup. “I do. I’ll be home late—so don’t wait up for me.”
“You know,” My dad began. I already rolled with my eyes as I prepared his tea and knew what was about to come. “You can always stop working and let me take care of you.”
There it was.
“I’m almost twenty-two, dad.” I reminded him. “You really don’t want to do that.”
He took a deep breath. “I know, I know—I just have this fear that—“
“That I’ll run off with some criminal and leave the house?” I chuckled. “Just like my mom?”
I walked to the kitchen island and placed the cup of tea in front of my dad. “Don’t worry, Dad,” I reassured him. “I’m not going anywhere, at least not for now.”
Where did he even expect me to go? It wasn’t as if I was making millions as a bartender, and I had no idea about what I actually wanted to do with my life.
“I feel like you don’t like me anymore,” my dad suddenly spoke. I shot him a surprised look. “Why? Don’t say that.”
“You closed your laptop when I walked into the room. You were hiding something from me.” My dad concluded. “Tell me what it is. Are you with Gabriel again?”
“What? No!”
Gabriel was one of the many exes who my dad had scared away. He wasn’t that ‘friendly,’ and neither was my brother. If it were up to them, I would remain single until the very day I died. According to them, no one was good enough for me. “How could we even reunite when you scared him off.”
“Oh,” My dad spoke, flustered. “You’re right. I did scare him off.”
He took a sip from his tea and went into deep thoughts. “What could you possibly be hiding from me?” He mumbled.
Nothing, dad, the only thing I’m hiding from you is that I’ve emailed one of the people you despise the most—a felon.
“I was buying your birthday gift. It wasn’t meant for your eyes.” I teased him. Even though he was ridiculous, I couldn’t help but feel bad and didn’t want him to crack his brains over nothing. “Birthday gift?” He smiled, relieved. “I can live with that.”
“Will you be home for dinner tonight?”
“No,” I told him. “I’m working a late shift, so don’t wait up for me.”
I felt terrible for abandoning him, but he was breathing in my neck, and it was slowly getting on my nerves. I loved my dad and brother, but their overprotective behavior on top of their occupation didn’t exactly help me.
The fact that my dad and my brother were DEA agents had always embarrassed me. Whenever I told anyone that my family worked for the government, they didn’t hesitate and took their distance from me.
“Do you want me to leave you dinner?” My dad asked in a sad tone. I hated whenever he made me feel bad. “I’m good, thank you,” I turned him down. “I think I’ll be leaving early today—“
“Because you’re sick of me?” My dad joked. The unfortunate thing which he hadn’t realized was that it was the reality. I needed my space, and I couldn’t be stuck in a house with him any longer. “You got me,” I smiled. “I’m sick of you.”
Just by looking at his face, I could tell my dad probably thought I was playing along with his joke, and I was not about to ruin his fun. He gave me a wink and finished his tea in one go.
“In that case, please have a nice day at work.”
***
“That was the last table.” I smiled at my boss, Rona. She looked over the counter and scanned the tables with her eyes. “You’re finished. You can go home.”
“Thank you!” I nodded gratefully. I was exhausted and couldn’t keep up with the number of people who I had served for the day. We worked with eight other people, but I was the manager of this place which meant I carried the same responsibilities as Rona.
“I’ll be stuck here for a while,” Rona spoke. She wasn’t that much older than I was, and we got along well. If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t have the opportunity to show off my skills.
It had only been around three months since I
had started my job, but I enjoyed it here. It was better than sitting behind a desk all day, that was for sure. I was mainly here for my skills as a mixologist. I had always created my own recipes, and they always seemed to perform well.
“Do you really want me to go?” I spoke awkwardly. I hated the fact that I was such a good person, and I did not have it in me to leave her alone.
“Just go,” Rona spoke once again. “I only have to count the money, don’t waste your time and enjoy your night.”
I ignored her words and sat down. “You know you want me to keep you company!” I smirked. Rona let out a laugh. “Okay, got me.”
“You could’ve just asked so.”
“What’s the point of asking if I knew you were going to offer?” Rona commented. “Don’t worry. I’ll make it quick.”
“Don’t bother.” I calmed her down. I was not in the mood to see my dad at the kitchen table while he waited for my return. I didn’t mind staying away for a little longer. “Take your time, Rona.”
“You’re such a good person,” Rona praised me. I knew I was, but it felt good to hear it from someone else. “Maybe I can show you some of my new recipes after we’re finished.” I smiled. “Maybe you can,” Rona spoke.
“So, any new stories to share?” She asked. “What did you do today?”
“Oh, I wrote a prisoner!” I shared with her. She was an excellent person to talk to and always listened to whatever I had to say. Rona stopped what she was doing and looked at me with big eyes.
“A prisoner?”
“Yes, remember that bet I told you about?” I freshened up her memories. “Yes.” Rona nodded. “You mean your friend who called you boring and dared you to do something which your dad would never allow?”
“Yes, that one!”
“So you decided to write a prisoner?” Rona laughed out loud. “You never fail to amuse me.”
“But I won the bet.” I shrugged at the end of the day. It was all that truly mattered. I always had the urge to show everyone that I made my own rules, regardless of my dad and brother, Alex.
“How does something like that works?” Rona wondered. It was something I also didn’t know until Victoria showed me how. “You create a profile, take a look at the message board and look for someone to write,” I explained. “I chose to send an email, but you can also send a letter.”
“Crazy,” Rona sighed. “Yes, apparently, they print out the email and give it to the prisoners.”
“Sounds serious.”
“It does.”
“I chose one of the worst guys. He had a list full of crimes and was all under the tattoos—my dad would’ve dropped dead if he saw him.” I laughed. “He’s in there for murder, drug trafficking, and god knows what else.”
“Oh, no,” Rona spoke with a slight pout on her lips. “This guy probably knows what you look like—so maybe you should’ve gone for someone a little less...criminal-ish?”
I felt flattered by Rona’s concerns, but that wasn’t necessary at all. “This guy has a life sentence. He won’t be coming out anytime soon.”
“Wow, it only gets worse.”
I laughed at Rona’s over-the-top reaction. I wouldn’t be that stupid to email someone who was not on life without parole. “It isn’t as if we are going to become besties or anything. It was just a bet.”
“Who knows.” Rona shrugged. “You have a pretty face. I don’t think any guy would swipe you to the left.”
“Swipe me to the left? It’s not a dating app.” I clarified. Why would anyone willingly want to end up with someone who would not be seeing any daylight anytime soon?
“Thank god, imagine.” Rona chuckled. “But still, imagine if he actually writes you back.”
“Nah, he’s not going to write me back.” I spoke as I thought about the ‘kindergarten’ email and the childish riddle. Inmate Marvin whatever his name was, did not seem like the guy who would waste his time solving a riddle.
“Why not?” Rona continued. Unfortunately, my point did not come across. I loved living in reality, and I wasn’t ready to move out of it?
“Why would he write me back?”
Marvin“Marvin!”I looked at my younger brother, Santiago, who ran into the visitation room and flew into my arms. No, he wasn’t ten-years-old, he was twenty-one but tented to behave like a toddler.“What’s up, Santiago!” I greeted him and pulled him into an embrace. The last time I’d seen him outside of this place was a week before his seventeenth birthday. “Let me take a good look at you.” I smiled at him.“Look!” Tiago spoke with open arms. He stood in a proud stance and waited for me to praise him. “I am looking. You look healthy!”I looked behind Tiago and nodded at Panther. He wasn’t only a great asset to the family but also my bodyguard and my best friend. He was more than a best friend. He was like my brother.He protected Tiago, just as he promised, and when I got out of here, he would be the first one to get a big reward.
Elena—Hi Lena,It’s good to talk to someone from San Diego.It took me some time to get back, and I would like to apologize for that, but I’m a bit shocked.This is not quite what I meant when I said I needed someone to talk to, and I’m a bit confused as to why you would send me a ‘prison riddle,’ but so be it.You asked me if I knew what kind of barswon’t keep a prisoner in jail.The answer to that corny question is obviously chocolate bars. Even though the riddle was a bit weak, the intentions were definitely there, and you’ve caught my attention.I think it’s only fair for me to ask you something in return. I was very intrigued by not only your way of talking but also your use of emojis, so I just have to ask. How old are you?Marvin
Marvin—Hi again, Lena.I wasn’t done talking to you, so it’s a bit rude of you to cut off our conversation, don’t you think?I would’ve never guessed you were a 21-year-old, but I like your energy.Thanks for the heart, although you missed the big letters, displaying this is NOT a dating site, I feel flattered.Now that I know your age, I want to know more about you. What are your hobbies? What are your goals?Waiting for your reply,Marvin(Ps. please stop with the emojis.)—“Is there anything wrong with my reply?” I asked my lawyer, Steven Laine. We had a meeting about the upcoming court date, and I felt the need to show him that I had finally replied to someone on the message board. The only issue was t
120 hours until releaseElenaTwo days...It had been two days since inmate Marvin Romero decided to send me back an email. It wouldn’t be too far stretched to admit that the email scared the living crap out of me.He seemed like the kind of person who was spoiled and wanted things to go his way. That’s the very same reason why I had decided not to let him have his way and tried to make him sweat.Okay, that wasn’t the only reason.I was afraid of Victoria’s reaction and knew she would tell me not to reply anymore, but something told me that it was my duty to respond. I mean, the email was a tiny bit rude, but he did ask me about my hobby’s and goals, right?That was nice.“Hello, earth to Elena!” Rona waved her hand in my face. “Oh, right—I’m sorry.” I apologized.“One large bloody
96 hours until releaseMarvin—Dear Marvin,The heart didn’t mean anything, and it’s just the way I talk. I know this is not a dating site, and I’m not looking for anyone to date either!!!Anyway, about my hobbies. I originally planned on becoming a lawyer, but I work as a mixologist at a small cocktail bar, so it clearly hasn’t worked out. I’m a bit too embarrassed to admit it, but I don’t really have any goals yet, but what’s the rush?(If things go wrong, I can always marry some rich guy🤑)Enough about me. You seem way too intelligent to be in prison, and you have a ridiculously long list of felonies. My question for you is, where did it go wrong, and how can I prevent the same thing from happening to me?From,Lena&mda
72 hours until release Elena A picture? This guy must’ve been absolutely nuts. Wasn’t the picture on my profile more than enough already? It was one of my best pictures, and it was in HD, so I didn’t know what he was getting at. I was unsure of whether to send a picture or not, but everything changed when I read the email for the fifth time. He didn’t seem as tough as he looked, and maybe if I sent pictures of myself, he would send some in return. Marvin was one of the few who had praised me for being a mixologist, and it felt good to know that he appreciated my job. It wasn’t as easy or useless as some people made it out to be. I gathered some courage and decided to write back. — Dear Marvin, Thank you for your encouraging words. You’re right. Being a mixologist requires some kind of special skill and is no
48 hours until releaseMarvin“Castillo, you have a visitor,” Stanfield spoke. I looked through the little glass of the steel door and furrowed my eyebrows."I'm not expecting anyone. Tell them to leave.”Stanfield opened the door and pushed me against the wall before he forcefully put me in handcuffs. “Hey!” I spoke, irritated. “Did you not hear me?”“I did.” Stanfield chuckled. “But I’m not going to tell Mario Castillo to come back another time. You can do it yourself.”Wait a minute.“My dad came to visit?”“The one and only,” Stanfield confirmed while he guided me out. The times he came to visit weren’t many, and I could count them on my hands. When he visited, it usually didn’t mean any good and often meant Santiago had screwed up again.The only thing I coul
24 hours until releaseElena—Dear Marvin,Link me up with your thirty cousins, all of them! (I’m serious)Thanks for your concerns, I know there are many bad people in this world, but I actually really enjoy talking to you. Tell me if I’m wrong, but I feel like we’re even becoming friends!Unfortunately, it’s just me, my dad, and my brother, but I might’ve overreacted a tiny bit. They’re honestly not as bad as I made them look, and they also have some good sides to them.I admire you for your dreams, and I can’t even imagine how hard it must be too hope for freedom. Keep dreaming, Marvin, and who knows? One day your dreams might come true!I also took a look at the pictures you send me, and just like you, I also had to hold my breath. I think you might be one of
ElenaOne week had passed since Lucas confirmed the meeting with Marvin, and today would finally be the day.I had spent the past week in a pool of emotions, constantly wondering how it would go. It could go either way. Marvin could either welcome me with open arms, or he had only agreed to meet me so he could yell at me some more.I dressed up as best as I could, went out of my comfort zone, and pulled out a yellow dress. It used to be my least favorite color until Marvin told me I looked pretty in it.My hair fell over my shoulders in soft waves, and I had put in some effort to put on some makeup.As I checked out my reflection in the hallway mirror one last time, I applied the last layer of lipgloss.“At this rate, your lips might fall off.” The sound of a voice behind me startled me, and I turned, my heart thumping in my chest. It was Dad, standing in the hallway, a faint expression on his face.My anxiety grew as I met his gaze. He was the last person I wanted to find out about m
ElenaThe sun fell perfectly on my skin as I lounged by the poolside in our family yard, with Rona and Victoria by my side.Everything was peaceful, so peaceful I couldn’t even believe it was real. Life had gone back to the way it use to as this was how we used to spend our days in the past.My bond with Dad had improved so much, we hadn’t argued since I had gotten back.Victoria’s voice cut through the peaceful silence. "Do you think I should reply to Victor's text?" A blush reached her cheeks.“I think you should!” Rona who had been informed about everything told her.It was quite amusing, considering Victoria had insisted I stay away from Marvin and it had even impacted our friendship. Now she was the one after the bad guy.Still, I couldn’t help but feel happy for her. She deserved this happiness, this chance at love.The two matched each other perfectly. They were both bossy and stubborn and almost shared the same name.My mind involuntarily wandered back to Marvin. His curious e
MarvinI was in Lucas’ car, on the way back to the Castillo estate. We had already been driving for a long time, an uncomfortable vibe swinging in the air as no one knew what to say. Each second stretched into minutes, and eventually into hours.The only noise was the sound of the radio.How could I say something, when I had yet to process everything? In a span of 24 hours, I was forced to make a decision and lost someone who I thought was my friend.My brother betrayed me.I had lost Elena.There was nothing to say.“Tiago, as far as everyone’s concerned, you didn't see anything today, and nothing happened today. ” I instructed, my voice cutting through the suffocating silence. As Tiago had already revealed, he didn’t always use his brains. “You saw nothing, you know nothing.”Tiago remained silent as I continued. “And you keep this from our father, Tiago. He must never find out...that you betrayed me.” The words almost made me chuckle. “I will deal with it. I’ll tell him that Panthe
MarvinEverything seemed foggy…It felt as if I was viewing the world through an underwater lens. That’s right, the car had just crashed. I blinked my eyes through the pain, and crawled away, groaning.There was no time for pain. The adrenaline pumped through my veins, bringing me back to reality. With heavy breaths and a ragged pulse drumming in my ears, I managed to get out of the car.My first instinct was to go to my brother, who was thrown out of the car. “Are you okay? Can you move?” I asked Tiago, who had luckily remained unharmed.He nodded his head, his eyes wide open as he took in the scene. With the car almost being on the edge of the cliff, we had barely survived. Did he want to take us all down with him?My head turned once I heard a groan, and there he was—Panther, semi-conscious, trying to pull himself together.A flicker of satisfaction went through my body. Good, I wanted him awake for this.“Let me give you a hand.” I dragged him out of the wreckage. His body seemed
MarvinWe were on our way back. Panther sat in the front passenger seat, Tiago in the back.As we were about halfway, there was an unspoken tension, and it was a good thing there was. By now, they were allowed to notice that I wasn’t in the mood at allIt smelled of treachery.Stopping at a stop sign, I tapped my fingers against the wheel, thinking about my next step. Hell, I didn’t even know what my next step would be. I only knew that there was no way in hell I could return with Panther.I couldn’t have him ratting out Elena.I just could not…"Tiago," I began, finally breaking the silence in the car. "I took care of Anya’s grave while you were gone." I wasn't sure why I had said it, but it felt necessary. If it’d make him feel like shit later on, good.He nodded as a somber look crossed his face. "Thank you, Marvin," he replied. “I knew I could count on you. I always can.”Yes, but can I count on you?Those were the words I so desperately wanted to ask, but I already knew the answe
Marvin“A-Already?” She frowned. “But of course, come in.” She invited, opening the door wider.“After you.” I turned to Panther, stepping aside. Tiago cared much more for him than he did for me, so it would only be appropriate. Right?After we entered the house, Ana led us to the living room, where we sat down."I'll go get Tiago. Please, make yourselves comfortable!" She called out, leaving the room.“Can I offer you some of our best liquor, sir?” A maid asked. Panther was just about to open his mouth, but I raised my hand to stop him, and kindly declined.“No, we’re good. Thank you, ma’am.” I said. "I need both of us to stay alert today." I exposed myself as my sharp gaze turned to Panther. This time he noticed, but said nothing.Only after a while, Panther huffed to break the silence. "You alright with being here, Marvin?" He asked, probably thinking my behavior had to do with something else.Years ago, Misty had been sleeping around with one of Ana’s sons, who was one of my close
MarvinIt had only been a few hours since I watched the video Anya left behind, along with countless files containing shocking information about Panther's betrayal. Not only Panter but also Tiago, the one I would take a bullet for.And poor Anya…Poor Anya had to pay with her life for trying to expose him. She could’ve told me the truth, she could’ve asked for my help—but she didn’t. Her love for Tiago must’ve been so big, she must’ve wanted enough evidence to show me he got manipulated.I felt shocked, numb, and in utter disbelief that my friend, my brother, had been betraying me. And on top of that, I had to deal with Elena's lies.How could I have been so blind? How could I have allowed myself to be played by three people I thought I could trust? I had always believed that I was strong, that my instincts were sharp. Yet, I was deceived.Me.The heir of the Castillo.All this time I had been keeping a close eye on Victor, while it was those three I really had to look out for.For a
Elena As I walked into the mansion, I immediately felt the tension in the air. It was just a gut feeling that something was about to happen, and I didn’t know why. It wasn’t too crazy, considering I planned on telling Marvin the truth. Dad and I had a deal, and now it was my job to hold up the end of the bargain. He needed me back home. “Marvin!” I called out his name, wondering if he was already home—but he didn't respond. “Marvin?” I walked further. “Mar—“ I stopped in my words as I saw him sitting at the kitchen table with a gun in front of him, and his head lowered. I swallowed as he held his hands together, and raised his head so I could see his eyes. There were filled with anger and disappointment. I wasn’t stupid. I knew what was happening. He had somehow found out the truth, the truth about everything. That must’ve been it. A breath escaped my lips as I reached for my pocket to secure Anya’s drive was still there. In one way there was a feeling of relief. I could fee
MarvinThe guys could talk all they pleased, but I wasn’t embarrassed for rushing to the house to apologize to Elena.My biggest goal was for her not to see what kind of monster I was, and unfortunately, she did. It was easy to blame Panther, but only one person was to blame—and that person was me.Seeing Lucas comforting her brought a sharp pain to my heart. Of course, the detective had to be there for her, while I couldn’t. Call it jealousy. I didn’t care.With Elena on my mind, I went straight home after handling business, but she was nowhere to be found. It wasn’t too far stretched to believe she might’ve run off with Lucas, the perfect detective.Hours went by as I sat at the dining table, waiting for her arrival—but there was still no sign of her.She wouldn’t respond to my calls, my texts—nothing.The second I heard footsteps at the front, I rushed to the door—thinking it was Elena. As I opened it, I realized that wasn’t the case. It was Misty.“What are you doing h—“ I was at