Dreams of Gold

The son of the Thain awakened from nightmare into slightly less terrifying reality—but only slightly. He opened his eyes from darkness into darkness.

Eyes open or closed; it made no difference. He couldn’t see his hand before his face...

...that is, if he could put his hand before his face. Further reflection on his circumstances revealed to his clouded mind that he could not move, no not a muscle. In a panic he began to struggle, disoriented in the darkness, feeling as if he were floating, or falling through a great abyss, much as Gandalf had fallen into darkness in Moria.

...though Gandalf had had the fire of the Balrog to light the way. The hobbit had nothing but his wits.

He forced himself to breathe deeply, and his mind considered the fact that there was air here, air for the breathing. His nightmare, of drowning in a great roaring river, began to fade as he sucked in quantities of musty air. He was not in Moria—Moria had not smelled musty, like this, at least, not in the portions where he’d travelled with his companions.

Yes, his mind was clearing, and he began to feel tingling in the remotest parts of his body, and discomfort closer in, the pang of hunger in his belly, the dryness of thirst in his mouth. And yes, he could move, a little; small, wriggling movements. He was lying on a hard surface, and the realisation came slowly that he was bound hand-and-foot. He began to struggle in earnest, and rolling to the side struck something soft and yielding.

...yielding in more ways than one, for not only was it softer than the cold and hard surface where he lay, but it yielded a muffled groan at the contact.

He opened his mouth to speak, for he thought he knew the voice—surely his cousin lay beside him!

...only to find there was a gag in his own mouth, muffling speech, tormenting his dry tongue with mocking softness.

Now this is a pickle, and no mistake, came the voice of Sam Gamgee, but it was only in his head and not at hand, to offer aid in this dire circumstance.

Bound hand-and-foot, gagged, laid down in the dark, all he could do was wait.