Noona [Ateez]

An Important Message

Hello everyone. Author here,

As you may know if you're reading this on the day I'm writing and posting this, it's October 31st, 2022. What many people know as Halloween.

A month or so ago, I asked you guys through a message on my wall how you felt about seasonal specials. I used Christmas as an example to throw you off, but what I really had in the works was a Halloween special that I had planned and worked to release today as a few little bonus chapters as a little treat to you guys during my hiatus.

But as many of you may already know, a few days ago, on October 29th, a heartbreaking tragedy took place at a Halloween celebration in the popular nightlife district of Itaewon in South Korea. In case you haven't heard of it, over 150 people, mostly in their late teens and early twenties lost their lives in a deadly crowd crush. Many more were injured. Seoul authorities were rushing to identify all the victims because their parents were desperately scouring the hospitals, not knowing if their loved ones were among the injured or worse... the ones who didn't make it.

My heart goes out to the families and loved ones of thise who lost their lives in this tragedy. I truly hope and pray they find solace. Losing a loved one is never easy, let alone in such a tragic way. I pray for Itaewon, and if you believe in anything, I beg you do as well.

But more than pray, I want to bring awareness to the tragedy too. The holiday season can be dangerous. Most people are in a state of euphoria that clouds their judgement. In my country hundreds of people get injured and lose their lives around Christmas and New Year's. Partying is fun, and everyone deserves to have a good time but please, everyone, be safe.

And to stay safe, stay informed. Here are some safety tips that might help you identify and survive a crowd crush:
If your body is being touched by the crowd on all four sides of you (front, back, left and right) you are already in danger. Keep your arms close to your torso to give yourself enough room to breathe. Don't try to fight the crowd and move with it. Conserving your energy and your oxygen is crucial for your survival.

If you're at the back of a crowd, DON'T  PUSH. Pushing can cause a crowd surge. People die in crowd crushes because everyone is getting pushed together and they asphyxiate, because their lungs don't have enough room to expand. Don't make this happen. Don't push.

If you're in a crowd and people are touching you on two of your sides, it's getting dangerous. If you can, get out of the crowd. It's not worth it.

If you fall in a crowd, adopt a fetal position. People might (and most likely will) trample over you. It will still hurt, but you will protect your organs from internal damage, which is far more dangerous than a few bruises and lacerations on the outside.

That's all. I wish I had more information I could share, but just please, stay informed and stay safe. Your lives are precious.

Regarding the Halloween special, out of respect for everyone who lost their lives in the tragedy and the people mourning their loss, I will not be releasing it at this time. The special is a suspenseful, somewhat frightening, and heartbreaking read. It's not what we need at a time like this. I hope you understand.

I might release it for Christmas instead. I once again thank you for your patience. I know most of this message wasn't related to the story, and that my audience isn't massive in comparison to others, but I still felt compelled to write this. I really, from the bottom of my heart, hope everyone reading this is okay and well, and if you know someone who passed away in the tragedy, I'm really sorry for your loss.

Thank you for reading this. I'll see you again soon. Stay safe <3 I love you all