Alex woke up scared because of a nightmare. In it, he was running a race. Just before he reached the finish line, he fell. Alex thought that it was a subconscious way that his brain was trying to warn him about something. He was going to run in a race that day. Did the dream mean he was going to lose? He became irritable.

“Good morning,” said Alex’s mother. “I brewed some coffee and made you a special breakfast.” Alex didn’t want it. It had too much sugar. He needed something nutritious. So he prepared a meal that contained a lot of protein to maximize his energy for the race. Then his father asked, “Do you want help packing your stuff?” “No,” replied Alex. He wanted to make sure that he had all of his equipment for the race.

Alex’s family got in their van and drove to the track. When they arrived, a boy ran toward Alex. “Can I have your autograph?” asked the boy. Alex had many fans. He usually charmed everybody he spoke to. However, today Alex refused to give the boy his signature. He needed to think about his race.

He took his jump rope from his bag and started his usual workout. Maybe exercising would help him forget about the nightmare. “The race is about to start,” said the coach. Beads of sweat formed out of Alex’s sweat glands. All he could think about was his terrible dream. He thought it might be his destiny to become a loser. While he was thinking, he didn’t hear the horn that meant the race had started.

The runners zoomed toward the finish line. By the time Alex started, he lagged far behind everyone. He couldn’t run fast enough to catch up to the others. He had lost the race! He shouldn’t have let the nightmare affect him. He should have stayed focused on the race.