An armored car with the scary inscription "POLIZEI" passes me and turns around the next street corner. Stop looking nervous, I'm telling myself. It's a regular evening, I'm just a regular guy, who's unsuspiciously walking into a regular side-alley of a major street in Paris. Fighting the urge to accelerate my walking speed, I leave behind the light of shops and versatile street lamps. The shadows of buildings on both sides of the narrow pathway are comforting and protective. Will he be there?

I pass a row of identical posters, hiding the crumbling brickwork behind: "Europeans! Defend yourselves: Don't buy American goods!" And there he is. A shadow separates itself from the wall and draws closer... It is impossible to completely prohibit things. After the ban instituted by the European Parliament, the market simply moved underground. The mostly German police stationed throughout the city did everything in their power to disrupt the shadow trade, yet despite their best efforts, the product always had a way to reach its buyer.

The Articles 11 and 13, adopted two years ago were not an outright ban on memes. The legal paragraphs simply prohibited the action that was referred to as "sharing of unlicensed copyrighted material" - a diplomatic phrasing, a half-hearted effort to conceal the tyrannical nature of the law. Presented as an unintended consequence of the bill, a new order has established itself on the European continent. A world where memes are illegal - a dystopia that became reality for citizens of the EU.

It was mostly the British who did the smuggling. Local distributors picked up the product in ports and resold it with outrageous margins. For the meme-deprived clients, the price was worth it.

"How can I help you?", the shadow inquires, its voice a mere whisper.

Without saying a word I strech out my hand, a 20 Euro banknote between my fingers.

In one motion the merchant reaches for the banknote and leaves the desired object in my grasp.

He disappears into the darkness. I take a closer look at what I've just acquired.

It's a small cardboard cutout.

Truly, the rarest Pepe.