If you've ever lived anywhere that gets a lot of snow or ice, you know how long winter can seem after it's been cold and icy for a couple of months. Everything takes longer to do, and it's often just harder to get things done at all. Let's throw a character or two into that situation too, shall we?

Your challenge:

• Write a story that is sent in January or February of any year
• You can choose any location as long as it's experiencing foul weather at the time (either as a matter of course for that area, or during a freak event someplace usually more temperate)
• There needs to be snow and/or ice to complicate the situation, mayhem, a little or a lot of terror, and a case to be solved
• You may feature any canon character(s) in your story, and any type of wrong do-er, so human bad guys are allowed in addition to our featured MOTW sorts
• As always, you are welcome to write a crossover

There is no deadline, but please be sure a. either e-mail the story or to let us know when/where your story is posted and b. note the challenge in your endnotes with a link back to here so others may find it if not submitting directly to the site.

send completed fics to xfbumpinnight@mulderscreek.com