Hello Gingersnap6789,
We understand your AirPods are not working after you remove them from the charging case. We'd like to help you get to the bottom of this.
It is normal for the status light on the charging case to only show a color for a short amount of time. The status light indicates the current charge level of the case and will only show a color for 8 seconds at a time. You can view more on this here: Charge your AirPods and learn about battery life.
Try charging your case with your AirPods inside of it for at least an hour, or until the status light turns green. You can check the charge by opening the lid, or by using the steps in the "Check the charge status" section of the support article above.
Respond back if the status light never turns green, or your AirPods aren't working even though the status light is green. Also, let us know which type of device you are attempting to connect your AirPods to.
Thanks for using Apple Support Communities.
Take care.