How To Avoid Doom Flags? : A Guide By Lee Felix

First Flag - Don't Get Hit By An Arrow

Felix groaned as his eyes fluttered open, blinding sunlight making it difficult to keep them open. Still, after a few seconds, he finally managed to do it and, through a slightly blurred sight, Felix found himself staring up at thin branches filled with hundreds of little green leaves. Confused, he slowly pushed himself into a sitting position. Glancing around, he realized he was smack in the middle of a dirt road, surrounded by a gigantic bamboo forest that didn't seem to know any end.

Where the hell am I?

Felix didn't remember entering this forest. Hell, he didn't remember being anywhere near a forest, let alone one filled with bamboos. He knew there were a few to be found in South Korea, but his sabbatical trip wasn't meant to bring him anywhere close to any of them.

Pushing himself up, he was relieved to find he was uninjured, if a little sore, completely dressed, if a bit dirty, and he couldn't feel any sort of the usual aftereffects of drinking himself into oblivion or taking a hit of something just a little stronger.

Hope surged in his chest when he felt the familiar weight of his phone in the pocket of his jacket. It didn't appear broken in any way when he pulled it out, and it turned on the moment he pressed his thumb on the flat surface. Unfortunately, his hope died down when he realized he didn't have any signal.

Of course it couldn't be that easy, huh?

Clicking his tongue in annoyance, the freckled man glanced around, internally praying he'd find some hidden cameras, or maybe a familiar face that'd burst out of the bushes and scream "Gotcha!" – but there was no place to hide a camera, and there were no bushes to hide a friend.

Felix was completely alone.

This is either a really bad prank, or a really weird dream, he reasoned, inhaling deeply as he put his phone away. But I'm on a road, aren't I? A road has to lead somewhere, meaning I ought to be able to find people soon enough.

The dirt road was... well, made of dirt, but there were deep tracks in the ground, meaning it was a road used often, at the very least. He'd surely cross paths with other lost tourists or some friendly locals that would help him out and, if not, then he'd surely find answers wherever the road would take him.

With one last look around, Felix then picked a direction at random and began walking, internally praying he'd find shelter before night fell.

.

Aren't I supposed to be "lucky"? What a joke.

Felix did not, in fact, find shelter before night fell. It almost felt as though he was walking in circles, the road a never-ending torment with seemingly no final destination, and he couldn't do anything but walk a little faster as the sun began going down and the air started becoming a little colder.

He was tired. He was thirsty, and hungry too, and his feet hurt like hell. He wanted nothing more than to just sit down and wait for a miracle to happen, but he was too stubborn to give up now. Surely the road had to lead somewhere! So, determined, he kept on walking.

Whichever gods were watching must have had their fill of his misery for now because, lo and behold, someone finally showed up. Felix's breath hitched a bit as he saw what appeared to be a man dressed in a black outfit stumbled out of the darkness, running through the bamboo trees as if the devil itself was on his heels, and coming straight in his direction.

Wait, did I stumble on a movie set or something? Are they in the middle of the filming a new drama? But where are the cameras!?

He felt a little bad about ruining the actor's scene, but he had just about had enough of roaming about like a headless chicken so, without wasting anymore time, he stepped into view and began waving to the man.