20: S1E20 – Twisted Ambitions

Two tales of desire gone wrong… where obsession digs deep, and the price of wanting more may be steeper than you think. A restless drifter arrives at a secluded farm with more curiosity than caution. A young boy’s childhood fascination festers into something far darker than anyone could imagine. In this chilling double feature, host Otis Jiry invites you to gather ‘round the fire and explore what happens when ambition turns toxic, and the line between dream and nightmare blurs beyond recognition. From the haunted backroads of Americana to the murky depths of forgotten places, these are stories of treasure, transformation, and the terrible things we sometimes do in the name of getting what we want.

PODCAST SUMMARY

"Buried Treasure" by Ted Hegemann – Sent to his reclusive uncle’s farm as part of a last-ditch effort to reform his behavior, Theo quickly becomes fascinated by family rumors of a hidden fortune buried somewhere on the property. With the help of a local farmhand, he begins a tireless search, but the deeper they dig, the more tangled Theo’s thoughts become. A haunting meditation on greed, manipulation, and the dangers of chasing something you were never meant to find.

"Overbite" by Kyle Harrison – From the moment James Summers saw his first gator show as a boy, he was hooked. Years later, with a strained family history and a mounting obsession, he returns to the swampy place where it all began—this time with a plan. But what begins as a dream of revival and control slowly unravels into a nightmare of transformation. An unsettling tale of primal urges, fractured identity, and the monstrous side of obsession.