The Angel, the Metal and the Mine

Till a certain age the angel was under the impression that all images inside a tunnel consisted of a light at the other end. Tunnels cannot be constructed otherwise. He wished all tunnels were like that. He wished there was a light somewhere and he could chase it mindlessly, irrespective of how long the tunnel was. However, this one doesn't have an exit, and shortly after he had been into it, the entrance had caved in.

He got stuck. He groped, he shouted for help, he banged his head incessantly against the walls; his halo provided him with some light, but that wasn't sufficient. Halos are to provide a cute effect to angels, not to illuminate. His small wings fluttered hopelessly, but they reached only dead ends in the relentless darkness.

He felt trapped.

*********

He shouted louder. And then, he realised that there was a faint voice somewhere.

"Who are you?" He asked.
"I'm trapped inside this mine, just like you."
He gaped. It was a female voice.
"Oh, so it's a mine, is it?"
"Yeah, didn't you realise that? It's mine."
What a pathetic joke, he thought. "Can you see light anywhere?"
"Yes, but it's a long way off."
"You mean, it's miles away?"
"No, I meant that it's ages away. Mines like these cannot be escaped that easily. Time is the only entity that can ever show us the exit. You can travel fast, but you shall still need a minimum amount of time."
"But how do you know?"

"Female instinct."

Women.

"Why are you not trying to reach there?"
"Because I heard you. I want us to be there together."
The angel's heart missed a beat. Angels are supposed to be alone, who had ever thought of a partner for an angel?
"Why?" He asked.
"It's a long story. I've been here for millennia, lying, just like that. I was told by someone that I shall gain speech only after that very special someone comes across and talks to me. And now I do."
"Are you a miner?" He asked.
"No. I'm a metal."
"Stop kidding. Metals don't speak, do they?"
"This one does. Angels don't get trapped either, isn't it? But I believe you, so why wouldn't you believe me?"
"But what's your name?"
"Copper."

**********

Time passed. He had lost track of time, actually. The tunnel had grown darker, possibly because the effect of the halo was fading. He grew frantic, and tried to dig his way out of it. He had managed to create a dent, a serious one. He had got optimistic, but then, the walls were too thick. He groaned and writhed, shouted and begged, but he knew that the tunnel was where he had to stay, however desperately he wanted to get away from the tunnel.

*********

"Copper?"
"Yes."
"Did you find light?"
"What do you mean? I had told you that we shall seek it together."
"I feel choked, suffocated."
"So do I."
"But what are we going to do? Are we going to wait mindlessly for ages?"
"We'd talk to each other and build a light bulb for ourselves."
"But... how?"
"You've got the physical body and the halo to do all the work. Being copper, I know how electricity gets conducted. We shall work this out, and shall seek light together."
"That's incredible, how did you ever think of this?"
"I'm smart. Not some dumb angel."
Women.

*********

They did start working on the bulb. The last I've heard about them was the fact that they have actually met in the darkness and have been working hand in hand to light up the tunnel that's

otherwise so dark. Once they manage to do that, they shall actually be able to see each other, and their stay inside the tunnel might not seem so strangling. And then, they might even hold hands (as if copper had hands) to pursue that infinite journey towards the realm of permanent light. But till then, they're not going to complain about the darkness: they shall find out a way to lighten the situation.

(Why couldn't I end this meaningless story without making that pathetic pun?)