**The Water That Appears Out of Nothing**

It all began one typical afternoon. As Matt sat at his desk, a few drops of water dropped from the ceiling directly onto his shoulder. Anticipating a leak, he peered up, but the ceiling was dry. Perplexed, he felt the wet area on his shirt. Disregarding it as an odd coincidence, he went back to his work.

However, it then transpired once more. As he was typing, a couple more drips splattered across his hand. With a frown, he wiped them away. Water could not possibly be dripping from the ceiling. However, there it was, evident as day. Shaking his head, he got up and started to investigate the cause.

A tiny puddle appeared at his feet as he left his office, as if the water had just fallen. Perplexed, he retreated. Was this guy going crazy? He saw the water end just as quickly as it had begun, leaving the wet evidence on the ground.

The incidents were increasingly regular and focused over the course of the following few days. Every time Matt lied, the water would appear out of nowhere. It couldn't simply be any lie, either; it had to be a significant falsehood about something about which he felt strongly conflicted. His clothes, documents, and meals were all soaked by the water that sprang out of nowhere after a minor lie or omission.

Matt attempted to ignore it at first. He convinced himself that it was just stress and a hallucination. But before long, it was hard to refute. It was actual water. It was a true demand for the truth. He started to experiment with it by making up small lies to see what would happen. He spoke out to his reflection, "I'm fine," even if he wasn't. A lone drip fell, silently accusing, and appeared in the mirror.

The worst happened when Claire, his sister, enquired as to his happiness. He hesitated because she asked so sincerely and with such concern in her eyes. In order to prevent her from worrying about him, he sought to shield her. "Of course I am, Claire," he answered, forcing a smile.

TAbove him, the ceiling gave way, letting a torrent of water fall like a hurricane had broken through the home. Matt was left speechless and wet as Claire let out a scream. Everything was saturated by the water, which splattered across the floor in waves. Claire's eyes showed him disappointment, but more than that, he saw hurt. Now that she knew, he was not content. There was no turning back the truth now that it had been driven into the open by the flood.

The water was unrelenting, waiting to deceive him at any moment. Matt was forced into a situation from which the truth was the only way out. He was forced to become more honest by the water, not because he aspired to goodness. His connections shifted. He was unable to tell lies to anyone, not even to himself or his pals. After the waves carried him away, all that remained was the truth.

Matt eventually came to terms with it. He began to embrace reality, difficult as it was, and stopped resisting. And the water gradually stopped falling. It did not completely go; rather, it lingered on, waiting for the next lie to surface. But when Matt started telling the truth more honestly, it started to fade from his life.

Matt once stepped in front of a mirror and examined himself. He had reached a stage in his life where telling the truth was sufficient and he no longer needed to lie. And for the first time, he recognized himself for what he truly was: a flawed but true guy. Not only had the water revealed his lies, but it had also exposed him, and in doing so, it had freed him.

Though it had been a curse, the water that had suddenly fallen upon him had also been a gift. He had never faced himself in such a way before because of it. And he experienced a lightness he hadn't felt in years as he ventured out into the world, no longer fearful of the truth. For the first time in a long time, Matt felt that he was at last free in the pure and shining sky.