2026 SIX WORD SHORT STORIES

Short stories by R.M. Dolin

2026 Six Word Short Stories

April 2026

Why would anyone go to Wisconsin?

He was her favorite . . .until not.

Don’t make me say the truth.

Her memory masquerades as forgotten dreams.

Don’t make me say the truth.

He stops when the bottle’s empty.

He never believed she loved him.
She never thought he’d really stay.

March 2026

She thinks of him in love.

Destiny does not come with options.

I’m once again dreaming in prose.

So many lies, too many words.
Too many worlds, so many lies.
Her lies can’t hurt his world.
He promises forever, in another world.

Where fate ends, her consequence begins.

Then it dies. Finality and truth.

Her life in black and white.

She is everything she ever was

When done breaking, return my heart.
Return heart when it’s done breaking.
She laughed while tossing love aside.
He said he loved her anyway.
Stolen glances. Deceitful smiles. Love betrayed.

The dawn of her distant loneliness.

The pungent smell of moldy books.

She holds him in quiet comfort.

She cries alone for what was.

Technology’s divine dilemma hit him hard.

There should at least be gravity.

Everyone is someone's unforgiven forever villain.
He'll always be her forever villain.

He’s listing in oceans of loss.

Her life is encased by darkness.

Darwin would say evil always prevails.

We each journey a private hell.

Politician exposed. Pretend trial to follow.

My drunk escape was your sorrow.
My drunk escape in your sorrow.

There’s a lot of nasty in looking.

I’m still learning to move on.

Her if-only whispers while walking away.

She withdraws into darkness to regenerate.
He escapes her darkness. . .for now.
Would you rather talk about sunshine?

Tell me lies I can sometimes believe.

I know you know. Sweet dreams.

Tomorrow is here. Escape seems unlikely.
Run dear one, tomorrow's coming close.

You’ll want to stand for this.

He awoke unsure of his regrets.

I probably believe you’re not possible.

Once I leave I won’t exist.
Be kind, erase me from memory.
I wonder how she remembers me?

Random silliness. Expert lies. Let’s pretend.

February 2026

Why not give love another go?

Robins return early. Hearts remain cold.

I can make any lie believable.
I always do believe your lies.

The Harley roared, then came chaos.

Good Whiskey. Better cards. Bad decisions.

His adventures almost covered his losses.

Airport cancellations. Minneapolis cold. Welcome home.

She knew better, did it anyway.

I finally booked Marrakesh, now what?

The Appaloosa’s too old to hesitate.

Windswept prairie. Dawn’s desperately deep delusion.

May your last kiss last forever.

He was, her disposable backup plan.

My friends say you seem happy.

She was close enough for heartache.

He played cards that couldn’t win.

A toast: to rise and fall.

I’ve stopped trying to outrun myself.

She was his terminally unfulfilled promise.

I reek of whiskey and cannabis.

Headline read, “Native Girl Found Dead.”

This is gonna take more whiskey.

Old bones. Cold cobblestones. Wind whispers.

She was, the always leaving girl.

My soul still searches for you.

She’s pretend happy. He’s more honest.

Contents contains love, handle with care.

I previously prepaid for future sins.

He put her loaded gun away.

Her tender tears. Portraits of beauty.

I’ll gladly trade companionship for peace.

She found peace but abandoned joy.

His Harley roared in shared simpatico.

She came to me in chaos.

Perhaps manifest destiny caused this crash.
Cause of death; failure to live.
Kiss me quick, destiny grows impatient.

She sees faults. He sees beauty.

He always did disappoint his future.
He deeply disappointed his distant self.

You’re right, someone broke my heart.

It’s too late to make believe.

“What’s your freaking point,” she screams.
“What’s her freaking point,” he wonders.

He regrets the things he’s done.
He regrets what he didn’t do.

Don’t hold her beauty against her.

The time for rescue is over.

He underestimated the things she’d do.
Nobody knew the lengths he’d go.

I’m not bound by your decisions.

None of her reasons were reasonable.
She had a hundred-gazillion excuses.
Her best excuse. Saved for last.
She conflates reason with sketchy excuses.

His paradise island. Her shattered life.
It wasn’t sinister, it was evil.
The CIA knew, yeah they did.
They hide behind billions, the bastards.

He never got his French visa.

The soft sanctuary of your smile.

Just my baby, him, and me.

Don’t invite me to your surrender.

Her success is dreaming once again.
Success is moments spent in wonder.
Splendid are my dreams of you.
Your success is not my metric.

There’s sadness in her dying dreams.
I did really really love you.
Sadly, he still really loves her.
She waits for sunrise. Stillborn dreams.

She’s unafraid of what comes next.

January 2026

Coyote barks. I hear his howl.

Searching for closure gives him clarity.

No kindness allowed in family court.

Tell me again the freaking odds.

You take risk. I’ll take consequence.
You buy risk. I sell consequence.
You sell risk. I buy consequence.

Their end is devoid of silence.
Silence is sorrow nearing utter sadness.
His tears. Her silence. Destiny’s destination.

Verdict in. I won. No celebration.

Snow blankets his sadness in regret.

À bientôt ma chérie dans Neverland.
translation: I’ll see you soon dear one in the land of make believe.

His tender touch. Her last goodbye.

There are no truths at trial.

God please teach me to forget.

Some are destined to be alone.
She was destined to be alone.
He seems okay being left alone.

Life’s the incremental movement toward death.

His heart forever holds out hope.
How do you not have hope.
Believe in the power of hope.

He loves her in dreams now.
In dreams she still loves him.
He is most alive in dreams.
In his dreams she never leaves.

She can’t stop how he feels.
She can’t dictate how he feels.

I can still write my ending.
I pretend to write my ending.
Yes, I lived this tragic story.
I would relive this tragedy again.
Would you rather hear love stories?
I write about love, so fiction.

My story. Our ending. You decide.

I could explain, I just don’t.

“What did you win?” he yells.

Her same old bullshit, once again.

Could you ever love me again?

I’ll go to your “whatever” world.
What world are we in love?

I’m the unseen vapor you discard.
I’m not the person you painted.
I’m certain you can’t save me.
I’m way west of being alright.

You need things. I need purpose.
She needed things, he needed love.
She needs love. He needs purpose.

Ti Chi at dawn over water.

Alone on the beach at dawn.

His email told everyone, but why?
He posts everyone. She’s embarrassed crys.
His angry post. Her lost dignity.

You laugh. I cry. Fate wins.
Fuck you and fuck fate too.
I cry for you at night.
Laugh at fate then die alone.
I don’t fear stillness any more.
Your laughter deeply damages my soul.
Your money does not interest me.
I see the beauty time stole.
In the end, is my end.

What if I am the one?
What if you are the one?

I’m a sin of your creation.
I’m the sin of your causation.

What happens after touching a dream?
He touched his dream then disappeared.
You are my dream’s tender touch.

Don’t ask if I cry alone.

Alone. Soothed by technology’s subtle seduction.

It’d be easier if you cried.
She owns leaving. He holds sorrow.

Then forever leaves her tearless eyes.

Her guilt is the best story.
Guilt betrayed. Darkness cascading. Hope lost.

You quit. I don’t know how.

You linger in my heart’s shadows.

Truth is, I’ll take your lie.
I choose a mirror that lies.

Wyoming wind remembers lost lonely cowboys.
Wind blew hard. He welcomes struggle.
Wyoming wind wistfully whispers his daybreak.

Her smile can’t hide unforgiving sadness.

You’re wrong to think you’re doomed.
You’re wrong to think I’m lost.
You’re right, we’re way beyond repair.

Always remember to love the unlovable.
No one can ever be unlovable.

I know more darkness than you.
I can survive your isolated darkness.
I’ve endured darkness longer than you.
Confronting his darkness caused her callousness.

I can’t breath, where are you?

Your smile. Your smile. Your smile.

He sliced his life in segments.

She said sorry, then walks away.

Logic lost. Sorrow saddens. Pain remains.

Hold me. . .until the darkness passes.

After you, there is only me.

My dreams don’t ask any questions.
Dreams don’t ask enough hard questions.
Her dreams blurred. His never questioned.