abruptly , he was caught by a something soft though he couldnt tell what it was , because when his fingers reached below , they fluttered in empty air he was moving faster than things could fall , faster than he had ever moved before and then he was sliding down some slope , and then up a slope , to a far brightness at the tunnel end , which quickly became bigger he was slowing down with a rush and a yell , gregory burst into bright daylight , falling through the air for another second before landing onto a soft platform , where he lay stunned .