I think that's a put, you can pay a fee to be able to sell a stock at current price before a set date of your choosing. If it goes from say 5$ to 1$, you can buy it at 1$ and sell it for 5$, making $4 per stock minus the fees you paid (the longer period in the option the higher the fee).
Discussion
Puts are also safer than a short. A short has potentially infinite losses, the worst you can lose on a put is the fee you paid up front.