The Strange message

A suspense story where a simple message conveys great danger.

The message

It was a stormy afternoon at the boys' school in the town of Highcliffe. The clouds were dark and blue and the restless grey sea threw up enormous waves that dashed against the rocks on the rocky coast. Thunder crashed and lighting slashed through the sky as Daniel a 14-year-old boy was seated on his chair, trying to finish some prep.
Daniel finished his last bit of prep. He packed up his bag and slipped his pen to its case. He stretched, feeling tired, and glanced out of the window. The view showed nothing but a mist and swirling storm clouds. Storms never frightened Daniel, yet today he felt uneasy.
The school bell rang out sharply and Daniel picked up his schoolbag and stepped out of the prep room.
As Daniel went through the dark school passages, he felt that the passages were more - darker than usual. The green glow of the fire-exit signs lit the passage. Shadows pooled in corners and Daniel quickened his paced. After some time, Daniel felt watched. He spun around - nobody. Yet he couldn't think that he saw a shadow stir.
Then he saw it.
A scrap of paper, stuck to the classroom door handle.
Curious, Daniel pulled it off. The handwriting was shaky and rushed, as if someone had written it in fear. It read:

DO NOT SLEEP TONIGHT

Daniel stared at it, confused. Why shouldn't he sleep? He folded the paper and tried to forget it, but the message hovered in his mind like a voice he could not shut out. He asked from his friend Ron whether he saw the message stuck to the classroom door, but he hadn't.
That night, Daniel got into bed feeling sleepy. His friend Ron was already snoring softly. The strict night watcher was prowling the corridors, telling off anyone who is talking without sleeping.
As Daniel drifted toward sleep, the memory of the strange message struck him like lightning. He snapped open his eyes.
Smoke
A thin thread of grey smoke came curling under the half opened dormitory door. Daniel leapt out of bed and shook Ron awake. With their hearts beating furiously, they dashed out onto the corridor. At the further end of the corridor, the chemistry lab was blazing fiercely.
Without thinking, Daniel and Ron raced down the stairs shouting at the top of their voices. Teachers burst out of rooms, grabbing fire extinguishers and rushing towards the flames.
After the fire was put out, teachers began to ask questions from Daniel and Ron about the fire. Students gathered around Daniel and Ron, bursting with questions. The boys answered honestly, still shaken but relieved.
After many good praises, the two boys escaped thankfully to their warm dormitory. As Daniel pulled the sheet up to his chin, he understood that some messages do not always give information but also gives important warnings.