It washed up on shore after the last rain. We found it the next morning. Its massive gray form pushed onto the riverbank, its stone skin still being pounded by the mid-morning waves. 

It was the statue of the troll.

As a city official, I was called out to investigate. I couldn’t fathom how it happens. In a lot of ways, I still can’t, even after all this time.

The troll statue measured twenty feet tall and fifteen feet wide. It had a big gray nose, pearly teeth perfect for gnashing. The...