Cursed family

"Eli!" Rachel shouted, her voice tinged with panic. "Where's Eli?"

Malcolm, Ava, and Sophia exchanged worried glances. They scrambled to their feet, scanning the surrounding area. No sign of Eli. No footprints. No indication he'd even been there.

Sophia's eyes narrowed. "I thought he was right here with us."

Ava's voice trembled. "We have to find him!"

Malcolm's face set in a determined expression. "Spread out, search the perimeter. We need to find Eli, now!"

Just as they began to search, a loud, off-key whistling pierced the air. The group froze, looking at each other in confusion.

Rachel threw up her hands. "What now?"

The whistling grew louder, and Eli emerged from the trees, whistling away, a goofy grin plastered on his face.

Ava's eyes widened. "Eli! Where were you?"

Eli stopped whistling, looking innocent. "What? I was just... uh... scouting ahead."

Malcolm raised an eyebrow. "Scouting ahead... with whistling?"

Eli shrugged, "I wanted to make sure i didn't startle any wildlife."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "You were whistling 'Who Let the Dogs Out' in the middle of the forest. What wildlife were you trying to attract?"

Eli chuckled, sheepishly. "Hey, it's a great song!"

The group couldn't help but laugh, tension broken. Sophia smiled shaking her head. "Well, at least we found you.."

Eli grinned. "Yeah, and I found a great spot for breakfast. Follow me!"

As they followed Eli, Rachel whispered to Malcolm, "I think we're in trouble if Eli's leading the way."

As they followed Eli, Ava whispered to Rachel, "I swear, Eli's like a homing pigeon, but instead of finding home, he finds food."

Rachel giggled, trying to stifle her laughter. 

Eli stopped abruptly, a good grin spreading across his face. "We're here!"

The group gasped in unison, eyes widening at the lush oasis before them. Vibrant fruits and berries grew in abundance, a stark contrast to the harsh wilderness they'd been traversing.

Malcolm's eyes scanned the area, incredulous. "How did we miss this? It's like a tropical paradise!"

Eli beamed with pride. "I guess it's luck. We've been searching for decent food for ages, but... Well, our creator's got our backs."

Ava raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "Yeah, right, so, Eli, how did you stumble upon this hidden gem?"

Eli's grin turned mischievous. "Well, I left my mark, of course."

He pointed to a nearby tree, where "Eli was here" was scrawled in charcoal, accompanied by a crude drawing of a smiling face.

Rachel chuckled. "You're like a modern-day explorer, Eli."

Eli chuckled, holding up a half-eaten fruit. "And I tested the merchandise, too. Best. Fruit. Ever."

The group burst into laughter at the sight of the half-eaten fruit, Eli's proud expression, and the ridiculous sign.