def elim_duplicates(input_string):
    # Simplify what you already had in the first two if statements
    if len(input_string) <= 1:
        return input_string

    # Use elif instead of nested else/if
    elif input_string[0] == input_string[1]:

        # This logic here is to slice up until the letter stops repating
        # We use current_index to keep track of that variable
        current_index = 1
        target_letter = input_string[current_index]
        while target_letter == input_string[0]:
            current_index += 1
            target_letter = input_string[current_index]

        # Return the recursive case where we slice the string until the target_letter stops repeating
        return input_string[0] + elim_duplicates(input_string[current_index:])

    # Else return a recursive case without removing dups
    else:
        return input_string[0] + elim_duplicates(input_string[1:])