Help with KeyListener and Threading

Hi there! I need some major help. I am in this programming course in high school and we are the guinea pigs this year because they have started teaching Java this year. Our teacher basically knows nothing about java and its obvious because when you ask him a question he has to research it first before he can help you. Anyways, I have an assignment due in 4 hours and im screwed. I need to make the game snake. I need to use a keylistener to get the arrow keys + other keys for other features and I need to be able to thread the keylistener and my graphics so that there is no delay in between. I am completely lost and nobody in my class knows how to thread (including my teacher).

import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import java.lang.Math;
import javax.swing.*;
import java.awt.Graphics;

public class KeyDemo2 extends JComponent implements KeyListener, Runnable
{

    int key = 0;
    int x = 0;
    public KeyDemo2 ()
    {
        addKeyListener (this);
        Thread t = new Thread (this);
        t.start ();
    }


    public void keyPressed (KeyEvent event)
    {
        key = event.getKeyCode ();
        System.out.println(key);
    }


    // handle release of any key
    public void keyReleased (KeyEvent event)
    {

    }


    // handle press of an action key
    public void keyTyped (KeyEvent event)
    {

    }


    public void run ()
    {
        try
        {
            while (true)
            {
                x++;
                repaint ();  // Show the change.
                Thread.sleep (100);
            }
        }
        catch (InterruptedException ie)
        {
        }
    }


    public void paint (Graphics g)
    {
        g.setColor (Color.white);
        g.fillRect (0, 0, size ().width, size ().height);
        g.setColor (Color.black);
        g.drawString (key + "", 50, 50);
        x++;
        g.drawRect (x, x, 1, 1);
    }



    public static void main (String [] args)
    {
        JFrame f = new JFrame ("HelloJava4");
        // Make the application exit when the window is closed.
        f.addWindowListener (new WindowAdapter ()
        {
            public void windowClosing (WindowEvent we)
            {
                System.exit (0);
            }
        }
        );
        f.setSize (300, 300);
        f.getContentPane ().add (new KeyDemo2 ());
        f.setVisible (true);
    }
}


This code runs but it only draws the dot moving from the top left corner to the bottom rite. It does not pick up key input. I have no idea what half of this code does. I am simply learning by example now cuz with four hours...i really have no choice. If you have any idea how i can get keyinput and output something (anything just to test) while drawing something else in the background. It would be very helpful. As you can see, i have set this to 500 points cuz i need help NOW!!!! Regards, pop.