"Legends?"
Once upon a time, in a faraway land, a young prince lived in a shining castle. Although he had everything his heart desired, the prince was spoiled, selfish, and unkind. But then, one winter's night, an old beggar woman came to the castle and offered him a single rose in return for shelter from the bitter cold.
Repulsed by her haggard appearance, the prince sneered at the gift and turned the old woman away. But she warned him not to be deceived by appearances, for beauty is found within. And when he dismissed her again, the old woman's ugliness melted away to reveal a beautiful witch.
The prince tried to apologize, but it was too late, for she had seen that there was no love in his heart. And as punishment, she transformed him into a hideous beast and placed a powerful curse on the castle and all who lived there. In a rage the witch struck down the King and Queen, and told the Prince that if he did not change his ways, he would stay a creature of the night for all of time.
Ashamed of his monstrous nature, the beast concealed himself inside his castle, with a magic mirror as his only window to the outside world.
The rose she had offered was truly an enchanted rose. If he could learn to love another, and earn her love in return by the time the last petal fell, then the spell would be broken. If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time.
As the years passed, he fell into despair and lost all hope. For who could ever learn to love a beast?
"Monsters?"
When the curse was not broken, the world fell into darkness.
The prince became the first of many, and over the years their numbers accumulated. Folklore and Myths grew of the creatures that slunk around in the dark of the night, but the human world has never truly known about Vampires.
And it never will.