The fact that they leave a lot to the imagination. Consider 'Midnight. Screams. No one heard.' We don't know exactly what the screams were about, but it creates a very dark and eerie feeling. They can pack a big emotional punch in such a small space, like 'Child lost. Mother weeps. Always.' which conveys a deep and long - lasting pain in just six words.
Here is one: 'Lost love. Empty house. Silence.' This simple six - word story gives a sense of desolation. After losing love, the empty house is filled with only silence, which makes people feel the coldness and loneliness of the situation.
I'm not sure specifically which '20 best six - word stories' you refer to. There are many collections out there. Some might be about love like 'Met you. Loved you. Lost you.' Another could be a sad one 'Birthday. Alone. No calls. No cake.' And there could be a hopeful one such as 'Struggled. Fell. Got up. Kept going.'
Use simple, spooky elements. For example, 'Dark room. Strange noise. Gone.' Just pick a common, yet eerie setting like a dark room, add an unexplained and menacing sound, and then a final word that implies something bad has happened.
Phone rang. It was a wrong number. This is a simple but relatable six - word story. We've all experienced getting calls from the wrong numbers, and it can be quite annoying or even a bit comical depending on how you look at it.