16 It’s Now or Never

Chapter 16 IT'S NOW OR NEVER Evil Elvis? Of course! The letters didn't spell LIVE. They spelled EVIL! EVIL is LIVE backward! Pep would have kicked herself, if she had been able to get her legs free. How could she have been so dumb? She tried to peer under the Elvis mask while he leaned over to take her sneakers off. He was humming the Elvis song "Don't Be Cruel." Pep tried to kick him, but her feet were tied tightly against the chair. "What are you going to do to me?" "What does it look like I'm going to do to you?" Elvis said. "I'm going to kill you." "What about my brother?"

"I'll take care of him after I finish you off," Elvis told her. "Killing two kids at once isn't nearly as much fun. I want to do it one at a time so I can really savor each murder. You only die twice, ha-ha-ha-ha!" Evil Elvis was insane, clearly. The voice sounded familiar, but Pep couldn't place it. Satisfied that his victim was secure, Elvis pulled a cigarette lighter out of his pocket and flicked it on. He waved it around Pep's face, letting the flame linger near her nose for just an instant so Pep would feel the heat. Here he was, taunting her with fire, and he had sent that message at the fireworks show. Pep made a mental note that Evil Elvis was a pyromaniac. If she was ever able to get out of this, she would at least be able to tell the police something about him. "You're going to burn me?" Pep asked, sobbing. "Is that how you're going to do it?" "Oh no, that would be cruel," Elvis said. "I have a better idea."

He went to the refrigerator and pulled open the door. Pep could see that it was filled with two-liter bottles of Pepsi. Elvis twisted off the cap from one of them and began to pour the contents into the metal tub that held Pep's feet. When that bottle was empty, he opened another one and poured that in. Then he poured a third bottle in. Pep's feet were covered in soda. "What are you doing?" Pep shouted. "Do you know what Pepsi is made of, Pepsi?" he asked. "High fructose corn syrup?" she replied. "Yes, and phosphoric acid," said Evil Elvis gleefully. "It's right on the label. And do you know what phosphoric acid does to the human body?" "Quenches our thirst?" Pep said, still squirming to try and get free. "Cute," Elvis said. "Soda and sweets rot your teeth, right? Well, did you ever put a tooth into a glass full of soda and let it sit there overnight? In the morning, there's nothing left! The tooth

dissolved. The acid will eat away at your feet until there's nothing left but bone." "You're crazy!" shouted Pep. "If the phosphoric acid in Pepsi will do that much damage to a little tooth," Elvis continued, "just imagine what it will do to human flesh. How ironic. Pepsi will be killed by Pepsi!" As if to confirm his insanity, Elvis let out a cackling laugh. "You monster!" Pep shouted at him. "Help! Help! Somebody!" Elvis took the white scarf from around his neck and wrapped it around Pep's mouth. "Quiet," he instructed her. "Your pathetic cries for somebody to rescue you are annoying, do you know that?" "Mmphf!" Pep shouted. "It won't be long," Elvis said cheerfully. "Can you feel the acid starting to eat away at your toes?" Pep did feel a burning sensation. She tried to call to her mother and father, but the sound was

muffled by the gag in her mouth. "Oh, don't worry," Elvis assured her. "This won't be a burden to your family. After the phosphoric acid eats away at your flesh for twenty-four hours, the blood will drain out and there won't be much left. I'll make an anonymous call to the morgue in the morning so they can send somebody over to dispose of your bones." "Help!" "Tomorrow … will be too late," Elvis began to sing. "It's now or never. My love won't wait." "Let me go!" "Sorry, can't help you there, darlin'. Elvis has left the building." And with that, he ran up the stairs and out the door, cackling the whole time.