Little Shubunkin

(120 words)

I walked farther than ever before, became lost, and kept going. Friendly strangers helped me through strange cultures and magnificent landscapes, though I longed for home.
Eventually I reached a town library where everyone spoke English. When I asked if I was in Turkey, they said, “No, friend, much farther than that.”
I wanted to find an airport and go home, but curiosity kept me there.
I learned of holy men who competed by levitating over high-voltage lines; any who dropped were electrocuted.
Failed competitors lay below, their bodies turning white.
I stayed in the library, sharing meals with staff eager to hear stories from my home. And they taught me a lot.
I came to love the library people and no longer wanted to leave.